Desert Heat
by toontwins
Summary: A slave named Naruto stumbles into a secret tomb, and accidently awakens the vengeful Madara Uchiha. Wanting to keep secrets inside the palace, Naruto is brought in to serve Prince Sasuke. All the Uchihas are cursed, will Naruto be the one to save them?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome!

Rated: "**M**"

OOooOOooOO

Chapter 1 – Twisted Fates

"Wake up, Sasuke," a deep voice commanded.

"Ngh," the young boy replied sleepily, rolling onto his side, snuggling deeper into his blankets.

"I said, _GET UP!_" the voice repeated harshly, tearing the sheets away from the boy.

Sasuke's eyes bolted open. There was no mistaking the harsh voice of his father, the Pharaoh, King Fugaku.

"Do not make me ask again," Fugaku threatened.

"I'm sorry, father," Sasuke stuttered in reply. He had turned to face the eldest Uchiha, who now looked even angrier than he usually did.

"No talking unless I tell you otherwise," his father ordered. "Now get dressed. We need to get going."

"Going?" Sasuke asked curiously. His onyx eyes traveled to the window of his bedroom. The night was dark, clouds were obstructing the moon, making it nearly impossible to see. "Where could we going on a night like this?"

"Did I _not_ just give you an order, Sasuke," the Pharaoh bit out. Sasuke nodded hastily, and without further hesitation, reached for his daytime linens. Scurrying under the blankets, he hastily ripped off his nightclothes and shrugged into the white tunic. Once ready to go, he swung the blanket away, rolled out of bed, and shoved his feet into a pair of brown sandals. His father had already stepped out into the hallway and was walking quickly down the hall.

Sasuke quietly closed the door to his bedroom behind him, then scurried silently after his father. They walked from one end of the Uchiha palace to the other, passing by ornate statues and tapestries that lined every wall and filled every crevice. They were all lovely pieces; practically all of them dripping with gold and jewels, but what gave Sasuke the most pride was the Uchiha symbol, a red and white fan, that hung proudly throughout the palace. It was the crest of the royal family, and he vowed he'd do it justice when his turn came.

Once outside the palace, they descended the broad stairs, and out into the night. They both walked in silence, Sasuke lost in his thoughts about what was going on while his father's face gave nothing away. They continued on to the edge of the Nile River, and stopped at a dock. Fugaku looked out into the darkness, squinting his eyes.

"I am here, my lord," a figure emerged from the shadows, wearing a long, black cloak. Without a sound, he brought his longboat level to the dock and waited patiently. Sasuke cocked his head, looked at the boat, looked at the figure, then to his father.

"Get in," Fugaku said. Sasuke was wary, but did as he was told, his father following him on board. Once they were both seated, the figure used his oar to push away from the shore and began rowing them across the inky waters. The night was eerie and quiet, no one making a word on board. Sasuke looked out to the shores, barely visible in the dark night. He didn't know where he was going or why, but surely his father would explain all that to him once they reached their destination. The trio sailed on for quite some time until the small craft had hit land. Fugaku stood up, grabbed Sasuke by the upper arm, and escorted him off the vessel. After getting a few paces away, he turned back to the figure, and tossed him a small leather bag filled with gold. "Ten minutes." The figure merely nodded, clutching the bag greedily.

The grip Fugaku had on his son hurt, but Sasuke would never admit to it. After all, pain was a weakness, and being an Uchiha, one must never show such a thing. But Sasuke wasn't like the others, frequently being called 'soft,' which often caused grief with his parents and the rest of the royal family. Why? He didn't know, but he was belittled for it more often than not.

Sasuke was desperate to please his parents and would do anything to get the gaze of pride that was showered upon his older brother constantly. And so, Sasuke put up with being dragged along the soft sands. His eyes had grown accustomed to darkness and he could see an entranceway, hidden among the surrounding limestone. In front, stood another mysterious figure, his dark orange hair ruffling slightly in the breeze.

"This is him," Fugaku shoved Sasuke towards the unknown man.

"How old is he?" the man asked, raising an orange brow.

"Should it matter?" Fugaku clipped. "But, if you must know, he has just turned ten."

"You didn't tell me he was that young," the man frowned.

"I am the Pharaoh, least you forget," Fugaku sneered. "You must comply." He paused and added smugly, "If you do not, the consequences will be…rather unpleasant. Surely you don't want a repeat of what happened before, now do you?" The other man stood grim, narrowing his eyes.

"Father?" Sasuke asked hesitantly, backing away from the mysterious man. "What's going on here?"

"Be quiet Sasuke," Fugaku snapped. Sasuke looked away. To the orange-haired man, he continued, "There is nothing else to discuss. Five years, and not a moment sooner."

Fugaku turned away and began heading back towards the boat.

"Father, wait," Sasuke cried, taking a step forward, he latched onto the Pharaoh's robe. Fugaku looked down in annoyance, shrugging his son's grip off of him. He turned his dark eyes towards the other man. "Do not disappoint me."

The orange-haired man then reached forward, clasping the child's tunic in his hand. Sasuke staggered backwards into the man's legs. Looking upward, his dark eyes grew wide as the stared into pale silver orbs. The man frowned, shifting his gaze to watch as the Pharaoh boarded the small craft once again. "Father!" Sasuke called. "I don't understand!" The boy fought frantically, doing whatever he could to break the man's hold on him. After struggling for a few moments, the grip on Sasuke loosened, and he fell to his knees. Crawling forward, Sasuke looked anxiously out into the darkness. "Father!" he shouted. "FATHER!"

The man watched the boy as he desperately called for his parent. He ran a hand through his shaggy orange locks and scowled. This was why he hated to take them so young. Sighing, he stepped over to the boy and spoke. "Time to go inside."

"No! I'm waiting for father to come back," Sasuke shouted.

"Look out there, do you even see him anymore?" the man countered.

Sasuke's eyes scanned the area, desperate for any sign of the boat that had taken him to this strange and foreign place. There was nothing but blackness and silence. The man was right; his father was nowhere to be seen. Shock overtook him. Rising slowly, he turned, and numbly followed the man inside.

OOooOOooOO

Once inside, Sasuke was lead down a narrow passageway. The geographical formations on either side of him were actually quite stunning, but Sasuke saw nothing more than his sandaled feet.

Stopping suddenly, the man said gruffly, "You will wait here." Sasuke glanced up and saw a small, plain room filled with a small bed, a tiny desk, and a chair. Lanterns were lit and hung in the corners of the room. Sasuke hesitated. The man reached down, placed his thumb and forefinger on the boy's chin, and lifted his head. Their gazed locked. "First thing is first. I am the Master of this place, and my name is Pein. As such, you are to refer to me as Master Pein, understood? And when I, or another member of my staff, give you an order, you will follow it, no questions asked." Sasuke merely nodded, too dazed to do otherwise. "Very good," Pein ushered the boy inside, closing the door, and locking it, silently behind him.

Sasuke turned, slamming his small fists on the door. "Wait! Where is this place?" he shouted. He jiggled the knob, but it was useless. He landed a hard kick with his sandal against the door, and then slid to the ground in frustration. What was he going to do now?

OOooOOooOO

"Hello?" a feminine voice called softly as the door to Sasuke's room creaked open.

"Wha…?" Sasuke looked up drowsily. He was surprised that he'd fallen asleep. He blinked his dark eyes and found himself staring up at a beautiful, young woman. She wore a short, blue tunic that was slug low on her shoulders and rode low over her ample breasts. Her hair was a rich blue and she had a flower pinned into it on one side.

"Hello cutie," she smiled. Sasuke blushed deeply, then quickly turned his gaze away. He scampered across to the other side of the room. This woman was _nothing_ like his conservative mother. "At least the response is good," Konan thought to herself.

"Konan, I don't have all day," Pein barked, brushing past the woman. Sasuke's stare quickly turned into a glower. The orange-haired man ignored him, focusing instead on the woman. "I need you to check him out so I can get him started in the program as soon as possible."

"I'm not going to be in your stupid program," Sasuke muttered.

"You don't really have much of a choice," Pein said flatly. "And either do I," he sighed under his breath. He looked at Konan, worry crossing his face.

"I am royalty, you have to do what I say! Now, release me at once!" Sasuke ordered, his words more confident than the voice that carried them.

Pein rolled his eyes, pushing concern from his mind. "Sasuke, on the outside, you may be a prince, but here, you have no status. You'd be wise to behave yourself and do as your told. Any difficulties you create will be met with swift punishment." Sasuke faltered slightly. "As for you Konan, I'll be waiting for your report." With that, the man was gone as quickly as he had appeared.

Konan crossed her arms. She knew what she had to do, no need for Pein to be bossing her around about it. She'd let it slide for now.

"I shouldn't be here," Sasuke sulked. "Wherever here is, anyways," he added darkly.

"Look kid," Konan said briskly. "I don't know the details about your situation, but both Pein and I have a job to do, and we're going to do it."

"But…" Sasuke began.

"No buts about it. Now, I need to take a look at you, so go ahead and remove your tunic," Konan said abruptly.

"Remove it? But that's absurd, why would I do that?"

"Because I'm making sure that you're clean," Konan said. "I have to know what I'm going to be working with."

"I wash everyday," Sasuke said defensively, "sometimes two or three times. So, you can just take my word for it. I'm fine. As to working with me, I'm not some animal for your amusement."

Konan sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Tell you what, either you take off your tunic yourself, or I'll have Pein come back and do it for you." Sasuke's resolve weakened slightly.

"I can do it myself," he muttered, starting on the task. He slowly and awkwardly slid the tunic over his head. He then held the bunched fabric near his groin, and stood as straight as he could. Konan walked up to Sasuke, her green eyes searching his small frame. He was lean, with soft, pale skin. His hair was silky black, with long, split bangs in front, and small spikes in the back. She circled him like a vulture over the desert sands, her gaze lingering on his smooth back and cute little butt. Sasuke began to shake nervously. "Are you done yet?" he stammered out.

"Almost," Konan said, smiling at how modest he was. Boy was _that_ going to change. "Just one more thing," she said, coming to face him again. Her gaze slid down to the linens Sasuke held. "You can drop those now." Sasuke lowered his head, his bangs hiding his reddening face. He gripped them tighter, than let them fall, his entire body turning crimson at the exposure. "Well, you are larger than most boys your age, but don't worry, that's a good thing in this business," Konan winked. She stood up again, picking up Sasuke's clothes. "It's getting late, so you better get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for you." She then turned to leave.

"Wait!" Sasuke squeaked. "Can I at least have my clothes back?"

"Nope." Konan replied simply.

"Well, what am I to sleep in then?" Sasuke huffed, grabbing the blanket off the bed to cover himself.

"Easy," Konan cocked a brow. "Your skin." Sasuke's jaw dropped. "You better get used to it. From this day forward, sleep for you _requires_ you to be naked. Trust me, it's much easier this way."

OOooOOooOO

Sasuke yawned, stretching his small limbs. He rubbed sleepily at his eyes, but when he finally pried them open, only darkness greeted him. The young boy furred his brow. He slipped slowly from the sheets and stopped cold as goose bumps traveled up his flesh. Quickly, he dove back under the covers. "So much for all this being a dream," he muttered darkly.

"Time to get up," Konan's voice sounded cheery as she stepped inside the room. She lit up a few candles while Sasuke huddled deeper under the blanket.

"Oh, don't be like that," she chided. "Besides, I have breakfast," she added, lowering a tray onto the small desk. Sasuke turned away, bunching into a tight ball. Even so, the smells of food drifted to his nose, and he had to admit, it did smell good. "Let's see, I have fruit, bread, and cakes. Why don't you join me?" she glanced back over her shoulder. Sasuke had shifted again, and Konan could just make out his messy spikes over the edge of the covers, his eyes curious as he watched her. "Well, come on then."

"I seem to be missing something," Sasuke mumbled.

"You'll get what you want once you come here and eat," she gestured him over. It took a few minutes, but hunger won out, and the boy finally gave in. Sasuke stepped lightly down from the bed, and kept to the shadows as he made his way across the room. Even at this age, he moved with a grace and stride equal to that of a wild cat. He took a seat in the chair beside Konan.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Konan said. Sasuke looked down, his face turning red again. He said nothing, but swung his feet slowly back and forth. "We're really going to have to work on your self confidence. But later. For now, you earned this." Konan handed Sasuke a fresh set of white linens, and with an audible sigh of relief, he slid them on. "By the way, you can call me Mistress Konan."

"Sasuke," the boy replied softly. "Thank you,…Mistress….for breakfast and the clothes," he added quietly. Konan was startled. No one ever thanked her in a place like this.

"Ah..sure," Konan smiled weakly back. She watched Sasuke with her jade colored eyes, the boy eating the food with such grace and poise. What did he do to deserve to be in a place like this? Princes rarely saw this side of life, let alone live as part of it. She was baffled. But she had to admit, with Sasuke's looks, he was going to excel at this.

But first things first. Konan reached into her tunic and withdrew a long, thick sewing needle. Sasuke saw it glint in the candlelight and looked up warily. "By now, you realized that you're going to be staying with us for awhile. So, it's time we get you properly marked." Rising elegantly from the table, she circled back around Sasuke, then leaned in, brushing his bangs away from one of ears. Konan's fingers trailed softly along the shell of Sasuke's ear, her digits skimming the tender surface.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke gulped nervously.

"Shhh…" Konan whispered. "It'll be over soon." Sasuke let out a startled yelp as the needle was inserted into his ear, followed shortly by a golden hoop earring. This process was repeated three more times on the same ear. Konan dabbed gently at the small trails of blood with a soft cloth, dappled with honey. "Now for the other side," she said, continuing with four more hoops to bring the total to eight. Sasuke gingerly felt at his ears, the earrings dangling against one another. "You mustn't touch them," she scolded, "they will heal with time." Sasuke whimpered softly. "It's sort of….Pein's trademark," Konan offered lamely. "But now that you're all ready with that, it's time to get you washed up and ready for your first lesson."

"Lesson?" Sasuke sniffed.

"But of course." Konan bent down until she was nose to nose with Sasuke. "You are now officially a student of the erotic arts."

OOooOOooOO

"This is the last time, Minato. You will pay now, or you'll be thrown into a cell for failing to pay your debt to the Pharaoh," said Neji, the captain of the guard. "And then, you'll be set as an example to all the other peasants that don't follow the rules."

"The labor tax has been difficult to make this year," Minato said defensively. "If you could just give me more time, I'm sure that when my sheep's wool has fully grown in it would be more than enough to…" He was abruptly cut off by a wave of Neji's hand. The captain took a step inside the humble home, pushing Minato off to the side. His pale eyes glanced coolly about. The walls were made of mud, keeping the house cool from the hot Egyptian sun. The place was decently furnished as well, with beds, a table, reed mats on the floor, and even a stove.

Turning to Minato, he said flatly, "You've had plenty of time, and now that time has run out." Neji flicked two fingers forward, bringing two large guards stomping inside. One grabbed Minato's arms, pulling them behind his back, while the other slammed his fist into the man's stomach. Minato sucked in a gasp. The hits continued, Minato begging them to stop, a sadistic grin spreading across Neji's face.

"Stop it!" a small voice cried out.

"Naruto, stay away!" Minato choked out. A small boy had come out from hiding under a table and now stood protectively in front of his father.

"Leave my papa alone!" Naruto cried.

"Well, well, what do we have here," Neji sneered, stepping forward and looming over the small boy.

"Go away," said Naruto, clutching onto his father's waist. A tick twitched above Neji's dark chocolate brow. He then reached out, and took Naruto by the hair.

"OWW!" Naruto cried. "Let me go!"

"Your boy is just as bad as you are," he bit out to Minato. "No respect or discipline."

"Naruto has nothing to do with this," Minato wheezed.

"Shut up," Neji retorted, slapping the older blond across the face. "Though on the contrary, he may be the solution to your little 'problem'," the captain replied, a smirk spreading across his lips.

Minato paled, "No, you can't."

Neji slapped Minato again, "You are lower than then sands we walk on. And your child is even lower than that. You should be happy that we'll be taking him in exchange for your debt. I'm sure the Pharaoh would love to have another slave in his entourage. Goodness knows, the kingdom is spreading and there's plenty of work to be done."

"Please, take my sheep, take me, anything else but please, not Naruto," Minato begged. "For God's sake, he's just a child."

"Do I look like I care," Neji replied coldly, "as far as I'm concerned, you people should be squashed like the insignificant little insects you are." Snapping his fingers, another guard entered the room. "Take this child out of here. He's just been employed into the great service of our Pharaoh." With that, Neji shoved Naruto at the guard, who grabbed the boy harshly by the arm and dragged him out of the house.

"Papa!" Naruto screamed, reaching for his father, his arms flailing.

"Naruto!" Minato called back, but was cut short as a fist connected with his stomach. Neji stepped over to the desperate man, his pale purple eyes boring into light blue ones. "You know, your son is rather exotic looking for this part of Egypt, so perhaps…"

"No! Please, I beg you," Minato pleaded. He tried to struggle against the guards that restrained him. Neji shrugged, and turned to leave. Over his shoulder he called out to the remaining two men, "Kill him."

OOooOOooOO

"Today is a momentous day. From this day forward, you shall now be Pharaoh," Fugaku said proudly.

"Yes, father," Itachi replied, his dark eyes flashing with excitement. It was about time. He was fifteen, and due to be on the throne. Flicking his long dark hair behind his shoulders, he strode alongside his father down the Great Hall. They had just come from the crowning ceremony, a party unlike any other. There was great food, women, music, and dance, the festivities having been going on for nearly twenty-four hours.

"Oh honey, you look amazing," commented his mother, who had just joined them. Itachi glanced down, not caring one way or another about his lovely red robes, lined with gold and rubies. He also wore gold amulets around his wrists and ankles, and a linen hat adorned with a golden raven. This was all well and good, but there were other things on his mind at the moment. "Everyone was there to see and worship you as you become a legend, a god," she added in adoration.

"Well, not everyone," Itachi drawled. "It seems my dear little brother is no where to be found." His mother and father exchanged a quick glance.

"You needn't worry about Sasuke," Fugaku said gruffly. "He is doing his part to ensure the Uchiha Dynasty is a success as well."

"I see," Itachi replied coolly, eyeing his parents with his crimson-flecked gaze. He was about to question them further when he thought he smelled something.

"Something wrong, Itachi?" his mother asked. Itachi said nothing as he darted back down the hallway.

He skidded to a stop in front of a great tapestry with the Uchiha symbol proudly displayed on it. But now, it was burning, the material crumbling and turning black. "What the hell?" Itachi uttered, eyes wide. An omen, and it was anything but good.

END OF CHAPTER 1

Thanks for reading. Please comment and let me know what you think. I hope to add more chapters soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

OOooOOooOO

Chapter 2 – A Change in the Winds

"You called for me, Master," Sasuke said, bowing low, his earrings softly clinking against one another.

"Indeed," Pein looked up from the scroll he'd been reading. "Hard to believe it's been five years." Sasuke merely nodded, for he too had been keeping track of the days. He knew what today meant, standing in his Master's office. Though no emotion spread across his face, on the inside his heart was racing.

Pein stood up, looking over Sasuke with a critical eye. At fifteen, Sasuke was tall, lean, and toned, his body supple and flexible. He had mastered every position in the books, making even the coldest of people turn to putty within seconds. Intelligence and confidence radiated from him as well, for this whole experience involved both the body and the mind. He'd quickly become the favorite of the house, leaving his days as a frightened child far behind him. Pein was extremely pleased with the person before him, and he knew the boy's father would be as well. He cleared his throat. "I'm sure you know why you stand before me," he said.

"Yes. And I am ready."

The older man was glad one of them was. Pein was usually happy to see his students ready to return to the outside world and perform as they'd been taught. But this time, it was different. "Come then," he said gruffly, turning to leave. Sasuke fell into step behind him. The two continued to zigzag down various tunnels underneath the desert sands for nearly thirty minutes. They had walked in silence, each deep in their own thoughts, until they reached a door engraved with hieroglyphics. He was about to step inside when he was brought to an abrupt halt.

"Before you get started," said Pein, his voice turning venomous. Quick as lightning, the older man had slid a blade underneath Sasuke's neck. "Don't think that I do not know about the feelings you harbor for my wife. Try anything other than what's expected of you, and I will kill you," he hissed. Sasuke said nothing, sliding his obsidian orbs to lock with the steely gaze of the other man. "Now, go," Pein said harshly, releasing the raven. "The sooner you get started, the sooner you can finish," he muttered, heading back the way they came.

Sasuke scowled at Pein's retreating back, one hand resting on his hip. What Konan ever saw in that man he'd never understand. Well, tonight, things would change. Taking a quick moment to smooth out his white robe, he then took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside.

The room itself was bigger than any he'd ever seen. Long, thin candles were lined up along the edges of the room, while fat, shorter ones were displayed on two tables that were pushed against the fall wall. In-between them sat a large bed, covered with midnight blue silk and satin sheets. Eight various sized pillows, covered with the same lovely material were organized near the exquisitely carved headboard. Stepping forward, Sasuke reached out to touch the bed, his fingers smooth against the softness of the Egyptian cotton.

"Beautiful, isn't it," Konan said softly, emerging from the shadows. She wore a long pale blue robe, a ribbon tied about her waist. Her hair was pinned up with a rose, her eyes lined with blue shadow, her lips plump and pink.

"Yes, mistress, but it does not compare to you," Sasuke replied silkily.

Konan raised a brow, "I see you waste no time in getting started. Very well, let the final exam begin. Show me what the past five years have taught you."

"With pleasure," Sasuke said huskily. He went over to Konan and stepped behind her. With one hand, he reached around her waist, pulling her up against his body. The other hand snaked its way over her chest, his fingers diving inside the robe. "Konan," he whispered, leaning in to kiss at her elegant neck. She felt him grip her breast, the size of her amble globe seeming to fit perfectly in his palm. It wasn't long before his fingers found her nipple, his thumb and forefinger rubbing at the dusty pink nub until it grew hard. Konan sucked in a breath, and she began to rub against Sasuke's hardening cock.

"So far, so good," she said with a coy smile. "Show me some more." Sasuke withdrew his hand from her robe and he skillfully untied her ribbon, letting it flutter the ground. The robe was being pulled away, revealing more skin, which Sasuke promptly covered with soft, adoring kisses. The garment then slid completely from Konan's shoulders, falling from her lithe frame, to pool at her feet. She stood nude, her slightly tanned skin highlighted by the candlelight. Sasuke was memorized by her soft skin, supple and lovely as it was. His lips moved down her spine, his hands caressing her flesh as he went lower and lower on her body. "Good, good," Konan said breathlessly. "Now, I want to look at you." She turned, seeing Sasuke rise up to his full height, one that towered over her.

Sasuke's eyes were wild with lust as he stared down at her. But he knew what was expected next. He took a step back, and then went to untie his own robe, shedding the white linens in a slow, sensual way. He also now stood naked, his modesty gone from his early days. Konan's breath caught. God, he was stunning. And he was _huge!_ "Is all that for me?" she said slyly. She strode over to the bed, lying down. With her two fingers, she beckoned Sasuke over. "Touch me some more."

Within seconds, Sasuke had crossed the room and was now hovering above Konan. He leaned in, their lips coming together in a kiss. The raven then broke away, trailing kissing down her throat and into the hollow of her neck. One hand steadied himself while the other kneaded one of Konan's breasts. He grinned lustily, his lips continuing their path down her body, before they found a perky nipple, his teeth clamping down gently. Konan moaned, arching her back. _Damn! He was good. _His soft bangs tickled her skin, and she found herself caressing his silky black locks. After getting one nipple hard, Sasuke moved to the other, showing it the same amount of attention, before heading lower. Licking and nipping, Sasuke found himself at her navel, where he let his tongue roll around the small indentation, his hands going behind her back to grasp onto her buttocks. He lifted his head, his dark eyes smoldering. Moving his hands, Sasuke went to gently spread Konan's legs apart, allowing him better access. Skillfully, the raven slid in one finger, then another, and began to slide them in and out of Konan's most private of places. She arched her back, small moans of desire escaping her lips. Sasuke took that as a good sign, placing two more fingers inside of her, scissoring them to make room for him. Sasuke smirked, going in with his lips first, his teeth pulling on her womanly folds, his tongue thrusting deep inside. Konan withered at the sensation, gasping as he expertly got her to orgasm.

"Very good, Sasuke," she said breathlessly. But the raven wasn't done yet. He withdrew a bit to run butterfly kisses down the insides of her thighs, while his hands stroked her legs. Konan had closed her eyes, enjoying the whole experience. Usually, the men were good, but Sasuke brought the experience to a whole new level.

Sasuke shifted himself so his hips were barely hovering over hers. His erection was throbbing for release, the velvety tip rubbing against Konan's hot core. She arched her hips up, eagerly seeking Sasuke. He accepted, pushing himself in, forceful, yet gentle at the same time. Her passage was well used, the muscles clamping to his shaft as they'd done with others before his. He swore he'd make her forget about all the others. Slowly, Sasuke slid in and out of Konan, making her pant and moan softly. Her legs slid around the raven's body, locking together behind his back. Their bodies were covered in sweat, making it easy to rub and create friction when their skin touched. Sasuke leaned in to kiss and nip starting at Konan's lips, trailing kisses along her jawbone down to her breasts while he continued to work her lower regions.

Moments later, and still grinding into her body, Sasuke pulled up, bringing his dark eyes to meet her steamy green ones. "Konan," he said, voice thick with passion, "I love you."

_SLAP! _Sasuke's cheek stung from the impact. "Off! Now!" Konan deadpanned. She unlocked her legs, then brought her hands up, giving Sasuke a hard push on his chest. He staggered backwards, caught off guard by the sudden change in mood. She glowered at him, her eyes blazing in the candlelight. Sasuke withered to the floor, his erection throbbing so hard, it brought tears to his eyes.

"Take care of yourself, then we have to talk," Konan said sharply. Sasuke turned away from his mistress, and proceeded to give himself the relief he needed. What happened? How did it all go so wrong? Jerking himself off was humiliating, especially in front of Konan, but he had no choice. He used his own clothes to wipe up his mess, then turned back towards Konan, who now stood clothed in her robe once again. Amazingly, she had composed herself as if nothing had even happened. "Don't think I didn't realize that you weren't planning on pulling out in time," she gritted out. "But that wasn't the worst of it. You never, and I repeat, NEVER, say those words to a woman unless it is true."

"But I did mean them," Sasuke countered, "with every fiber of my being. I love you, I always have, ever since the first day I came here."

"No, Sasuke," Konan sighed, rubbing at her temples.

"I do not understand," Sasuke ran a hand through his sweaty bangs. "The things that we've done together…"

"Were all part of the training, and nothing more," Konan said stiffly, turning to take a seat on the edge of the bed. It's not like she enjoyed doing things like this, but she'd seen people get too attached to her in the past and their lives were miserable for it. Shock crossed Sasuke's face, which was quickly replaced by hurt. "Come here," she gestured, patting a spot next to her. He did as instructed and sat, at first refusing to look at his Mistress. She took his hand between her own and began gently, "You harbor a heavy lust for me, Sasuke. It's no wonder too, seeing all the time we've spent together, both in and out of the bedroom. But it is not the same as love."

Sasuke turned to look at her, his face emotionless, though his eyes were pleading. "But I will be Pharaoh someday. I will have power. I can give you anything and everything. Life can be better for you."

"But without love, it will be for naught," Konan replied gently. "There is man who already holds my heart. You too will find someone who will treasure you, comfort you, and love you. But you must search beyond the layers of lust to find it."

"I cannot hold such optimism," Sasuke said grimly, "for there is no one like you."

"Remain hopeful, Sasuke. You are kind, strong, smart, and talented. Traits like that are tough to come by in these hard times." Sasuke returned her words silently with a squeeze of his hand in hers. Then, he stood slowly, gathered his soiled robe, and exited the room.

OOooOOooOO

The next morning, Fugaku stood stoically on the very dock that he stood on five years previously. He tapped his foot impatiently; beads of sweat trailing down his face from the hot Egyptian sun.

"My lord," Pein bowed. "You son is fully prepared for the tasks he'll have once he returns to the palace."

"I would have expected no less," Fugaku replied coolly.

"Sir," Pein began firmly, "I have completed my end of the deal. I have made exceptions in my beliefs and have kept the whole ordeal a secret. Now, when can Konan and I expect to see our part fulfilled?"

"Don't worry," Fugaku said, a smirk appearing at the corner of his lips. "You'll get what's coming to you."

"Father," Sasuke offered a brief bow. "Master," he bowed even lower towards Pein. Fugaku's eye twitched, seeing his son show more respect to someone other than him. Quickly regaining his composure, he glanced over Sasuke, seeing that he was wearing bright white linens, accented by reds and blues, golden bands looped around his neck, wrists, and legs.

"Well, you've certainly grown, haven't you? Let us hope it is in all the right places. Either way, do not let it go to your head. You'll never be on par with your brother. Now, time to get going. You have a job to do, and you better not be an embarrassment as you were before." The former king turned and walked haughtily back to the small craft that was floating silently in the nearby river.

"Five years, and that's how he greets you?" Pein muttered.

"Honestly, how can that man have a family?" Konan huffed. She turned to Sasuke, "I hate returning you to that horrid man."

"Apparently time cannot change everyone," Sasuke said flatly.

"Sasuke," Pein said curtly, "Make us proud out there."

"Of course, Master," the raven replied, bowing low. Pein nodded, then stepped back, allowing his wife to say her goodbye.

"The house won't be the same without you," Konan sniffed. She leaned in close to his ear, "Remember what we talked about."

"Yes, mistress. Goodbye," he whispered back.

"Get a move on, Sasuke. The ride back will take several hours," Fugaku shouted from the boat. Heaving a sigh, Sasuke glanced at the place that had been his home for the past five years and gave a small smile. It had been worth it, every minute. He turned, headed for the craft. Once he was seated on board, the boat pushed off from the sands, and set sail down the Nile.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Konan asked Pein, worry crossing her face.

"Of course," Pein replied, "This is Sasuke we're talking about. Anyways, the former king said that our end of the deal would be completed as well. He said he'd be sending people over to finalize the paperwork. Once that's complete, we can finally do all the things we've dreamed about."

"Think again, desert whores," Neji said smugly, the captain revealing himself from his hiding place in the sands. Snapping his fingers, fifty more guards appeared, surrounding the couple.

"What is the meaning of this?" Pein growled, pulling Konan close.

"Simple. To kill you," Neji returned matter-of-factly.

"Why? We did everything we were told!" Konan shouted back.

"We can't have either of you, or your people, running off and telling anyone about Sasuke's training. Death is the quickest option to avoid any type of blackmail."

"This is absurd! We'd never do such a thing," Pein snapped. "Besides, the Pharaoh gave us his word, his protection."

"You think he'd honor such a pact with desert dogs," Neji replied arrogantly. With a wave of his hand, three of his guards latched onto Konan, ripping her from Pein's grasp.

"Pein!" she cried.

"Konan!" Pein stepped after her, but was cut short as other guards pressed in closer, their spears edging dangerously close to his neck. He was about to tell the captain off when he smelled something burning. Looking up, he saw flames and smoke coming from the underground house.

Pein roared, latching onto one of the spear tips, tearing it away from one of the guards. The sharp blade cut into his hand, but he didn't care. He swung the weapon around, jabbing it into one of the guards, then brought it back up to knock out two others.

"Konan, I'm coming!"

"The only place you're going is the River Styx," Neji snarled, jamming his sword into Pein's back. The orange-haired man grunted as he hit the sands with a heavy thud. He tried to get back onto his feet, but was roughly pushed back down by a heavy sandaled foot. The sword continued to push wickedly through Pein's flesh, slicing through his body, and ultimately pinning him to the hot sands. The wound was fatal, his breathing ragged and strained. "Though before you die…" Neji smiled wickedly, then pulled on Pein's hair, forcing the dying man to look up.

Pein's jaw dropped. His wife was bound, lying on the sands, her clothes completely torn away from her body. The guards that loomed above looked at her lecherously, licking their lips. "Leave her alone!" he coughed out, blood and sand trickling from his mouth.

Neji smirked, then snapped his fingers. The guards surrounded Konan like vultures. "Let the games begin." The men dove in, surrounding the helpless woman. She screamed.

OOooOOooOO

"Mistress?" Sasuke stood abruptly in the boat, causing it rock precariously back and forth. He looked back down the Nile, his eyes squinting against the reflection of the sun off the water.

"Dammit boy, sit back down before you knock the boat over," Fugaku said irritably.

"Smoke," Sasuke's eyes widened, seeing an ominous black cloud rising above the sands.

"It's coming from the house. We have to go back." The raven turned towards his father. "We must help them. Command the boater to turn this craft around." Fugaku, nor the boater, moved or even acknowledged that Sasuke had spoken. "Fine. If you won't turn around, I'll swim back there myself," Sasuke muttered. He began to slip out of his tunic, but flinched when he felt the bite of something against his ankle. Sasuke looked down to see a black snake hissing back up at him, its tongue darting in and out. It flicked its tail, then slithered back to the boater, curling its way up its master leg. The raven staggered, grasping the edge of the boat, his vision blurring. He looked back at his father, who had remained passive through the whole exchange.

"Why?" Sasuke slurred, dropping to his knees. He was having a hard time focusing, his thoughts growing fuzzy, his limbs heavy.

"Seems you were about to do something stupid."

"Hn. I don't care about me. But why…my Master, Mistress, the house…" The raven tried to stay on his feet, but his legs no longer held him and he slunk to the floor.

"Those people are no longer your concern," he answered coldly.

"How dare you," Sasuke growled, glaring daggers at his father, "I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" Fugaku sneered. "You can't even get on your feet and look me in the eye." Darkness closed in fast, the snake's poison racing through Sasuke's system. He grew tired, his heart rate slowing down, and it wasn't long before he slumped to the ground unconscious. "Pitiful as always. Though at least now you'll serve a purpose."

OOooOOooOO

Naruto woke up, bleary-eyed and still tired. "Same shit, different day," he grumbled drowsily, slipping his feet into well-worn sandals. His white linens were rumpled from sleep, but he didn't care. He'd just be heading in and out of the dark pyramids for most of the day anyway. He shuffled over to the window of his slave quarters, flipping back the cloth that kept the place dark and cool. Bright light was brought into the room, illuminating the meager surroundings. While most people hated the hot sun, he craved it.

"Naruto!" one of the guards shouted.

"Yes, sir." Crap, he was late again. He ran out the door, and collided with said guard. The man narrowed his green eyes, his short, shaggy hair barely peaking out from under the cloth hat that he wore. He carried a spear in one hand, and a long leather whip in the other. He would have raised an eyebrow, if he had one. "Sorry sir, I..uh.."

"Quiet! The sun grows high in the sky, now get to work! You'll be staying extra late in the tombs to make up for your laziness," Gaara said firmly. He snapped his whip, the crack of it echoing in Naruto's ears. "Go now. The next one won't miss." Naruto gulped nervously and took off towards the wells.

"Laziness, my ass," Naruto mumbled. "It's not like I enjoy doing this or even want to be here in the first place," he sighed to himself. Not like he had much of a choice anyways. Everything he knew was destroyed on the fateful day five years ago. What was once a promising future was now a bleak one. The blond heaved a bucket full of water from the well and grabbed a ladle. He glanced up at the sky, watching the clouds idly drift by. He felt a tear wind itself down his scarred cheek. "Dad, I miss you." Rubbing it away quickly, he turned and trudged off to another day of hard labor.

About ten hours later, Naruto was dragging the millionth, (or so he thought) bucket of water into yet another tomb. He was tired and sweaty, his muscles strained from the work of the day. He stopped for a quick breather and to light his small torch. This particular tunnel seemed to go on forever, constantly crisscrossing and backtracking back in on itself. The bucket seemed to grow heavier with each step, and Naruto found himself getting aggravated. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to the walls, hoping to catch some interesting hieroglyphics. Although he couldn't read them, he had always enjoyed looking at the pictures. He scowled, noticing the walls were bare, the same boring limestone pattern repeated over and over again. As if things weren't bad enough, his torch started to shrink. "No, don't go out, please, please," Naruto begged the dying flame. Within seconds, Naruto was left standing in pitch-blackness. "Great, just great," he muttered. "Well, I have to get this water to the guys down here regardless, so I better get moving. I think the tunnel continued in this direction …OW!" Naruto smacked into a wall, the water sloshing inside the bucket, some of it carrying over to splash down onto his foot. The blond clenched his fists, and grit his teeth. Picking up the bucket again, he attempted to move further down the tunnel in the hopes of hearing voices or seeing some light. The tunnel was nearly impossible to navigate, let alone trying to do it without a source of light. The darkness began to push down on him, thoughts of being buried alive drifting through his mind. He grew nervous, and tried quickening his pace. Eventually, he did hear voices and saw shadows dancing off the walls in a room up ahead. "Finally!"

"And here would be a great place to put…why, hello, Naruto," said Sai, a smile gracing his lips. In front of the blond stood another teen, though this one was a year old, just turning sixteen. He wore a blue sash than hung from his shoulder across his chest, with a white linen draped about his hips. Around his waist hung leather cords, each attached to a various brush or scroll.

"Oye! It just had to be you down here, didn't it?" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Everyone," Sai clapped, "water's here. Take five." There was a rustle of movement as twenty men emerged from the shadows, crowding around Naruto, eagerly taking the refreshing liquid from his bucket.

"Geez, at least give me a minute to get out of the way," Naruto barked as he was shoved off to the side.

"I apologize for my men," said Sai, "they've been hard at work all day and were in dire need to quench their thirst."

"Yeah, I noticed. So what are you guys working on anyways?" Naruto wondered, scratching at his head. His eyes roamed the large, empty, and rather plain looking room.

"It may not be much now, but just wait. As of this morning, I've been given the task as head artisan to complete this tomb for the newly returned prince."

"But I thought Itachi already had a tomb?"

"He does. This is for the younger Uchiha. Sasuke."

"Oh." Naruto furred his brow. "Sasuke, huh? I don't remember hearing much about him."

"Don't worry, you'll be hearing lots about him soon if what's in these plans are true." Naruto cocked his head. "See here," Sai was glowing as he opened a scroll filled with blueprints, "there's going to be a fertility god on nearly every available space. And look at the size of the penis on these things. They are really something." He glanced mildly at Naruto. "You jealous? After all, yours is probably the smallest I've ever seen. It would take a really fine brush just to…"

"Shut up, Sai!" Naruto threatened.

"Well, it's true," he shrugged, walking to get himself a drink.

Naruto bit his tongue, silencing the curses he wanted to let lose. Sliding past Sai, he grabbed the now-empty bucket, and turned on his heel. Helping himself to a torch that hung off the wall, he stalked back into the narrow tunnel that would lead him up to the surface. He was annoyed with Sai, the pale teen clearly enjoying giving him a hard time. How did he even know what the size of his cock was anyways? "Grrr…" he snarled, tossing the bucket down the tunnel. It disappeared into the darkness. "Oh good move, Naruto," he muttered to himself. Sighing, the blond plodded off in pursuit.

Moments later, Naruto scratched at his head. "Where did it go? I mean, it couldn't have gone that far." Suddenly, a cold breezed picked up, dousing Naruto's torch in an instant. "Aww…not again," he sulked. Shivering, he continued down the narrow tunnel, his eyes doing their best to adjust to the darkness. He had been wandering for some time, and he knew he was lost. Swallowing his nervousness he thought about going back to try and find Sai and the others, but he didn't want to be ridiculed again. So, he pressed forward, taking step after step until he felt his foot stepping onto…nothing. "What the?" Naruto felt himself falling before he even knew what was happening. He screamed, terrified, until he hit a soft, sandy floor.

"Ugh….stupid traps," Naruto mumbled, spitting sand from his mouth. He blinked his eyes, surprised to see torches glowing dimly against the walls. The tomb was amazing, the dimensions larger that he'd even seen, but it had been heavily damaged. The columns that lined the walls were crumbling; large chests and tables covered in dust lie broken on their sides. Hieroglyphics were everywhere, though they were scratched badly. Bottles and jars were scattered along the floor, cracked and opened, their contents long gone. Statues of two large black dogs, their design based off the god Anubis, were to his left. Pieces were missing: ears, feet, tails, chipped and scratched. Not surprisingly, there was no gold or treasure to be found here. But whoever the resident was, he seemed to still be here. Naruto rose to his feet, drawn to the large sarcophagus that sat behind the dog statues. The lid was slightly ajar, a smoky purple mist seeping from it. Intrigued, Naruto stepped closer, noticing that it too, had been destroyed. At one time, gold would have graced the face of the casket, beautiful paintings and decorations covering the body and sides. But now, it was in shambles, everything stripped from it. The air was dusty and still, like no one had been in here for years. But if that was true, then why were the flames still burning and what was creating the mist? He furred his brow, "Maybe they messed up on the mummification process?" Naruto wasn't looking forward to finding out, but he could at least pull the cover back on. As he about to try and pull it shut, a heavily wrapped hand shot up and held the cover open, the fingers decayed, nailed chipped and raw. Naruto let out a startled yelp. He tried to back away but was stopped short as the two dog statues bit into his calves, holding him hostage. The lid slowly slid away, the mist enveloping Naruto and the rest of the room. The blond was terrified, his face paling as he saw a pair of red glowing eyes appear before him.

END CHAPTER 2

Hope you all enjoyed it. Reviews are welcome as always. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

Chapter 3 – (Title)

OOooOOooOO

Sasuke began to stir, his eyes fluttering open. He half expected Konan to bring him breakfast, as she usually did, but reality was not always so kind. Figuring he'd be back in his old room at the palace, he frowned, not recognizing his surroundings at all. Propping himself onto his elbows, the action of which caused him to sink deeper into the large, lush mattress he was laid out on. He surveyed the room, his fingers sliding along the expensive silk sheets, ranging in colors from blue to silver to purple. Silver snake statues sensually wound their way up along each of the four posts along the bed. Along the walls were statues and hieroglyphics depicting fertility gods and common man, all of which left nothing to the imagination when it came to their sexual organs. Further along the walls, the positions grew more vulgar and graphic, depicting humans, animals, gods, and every combination in-between, which caused Sasuke to blush in both anger and embarrassment. Turning his gaze downward, the raven shifted, hoping to get out of bed and try walking on his injured foot. He wasn't sure where he'd go, but anywhere was better than here. His feet slid from the sheets, and he was genuinely surprised to see that fresh linens, lightly coated with honey, were wrapped around his wound. He discovered his leg was bare of any ornamentation, and nothing, save for a small half tunic, covered him. Fine with him, he was usually naked anyways. Going back to his wound, Sasuke reached his hand down carefully towards his ankle, but stopped short when a crisp voice cut across the room.

"Do not touch it, least I have to change it again," the voice clipped.

"Mother?"

Mikoto walked briskly over to her son. "It's about time you woke up. You've wasted two days as it is. And now, seeing as your ankle is still swollen from that snake bite, we'll have to wait even longer," she continued, clearly annoyed.

"Have father use a non-venomous snake next time," Sasuke replied bitterly.

"Tsk. Tsk. Your father did what needed to be done," Mikoto chided.

"How you can say that!" Sasuke said incredulously. "He nearly killed me. And before that, he ordered the deaths of innocent people!"

"Don't worry yourself over such things, your father knows what he's doing," she continued, unfazed by Sasuke's anger. "Besides, you should be focusing more on your brother's reign."

"Itachi? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"You have a very important role to fulfill for him," Mikoto 's dark eyes were taking in her son's long, toned leg. Her dark eyes then traveled to Sasuke's face, where her hand soon followed. Her soft, delicate fingers stroked Sasuke's cheek, brushing stray hairs behind his ear. She fingered the earrings along her son's ear. "Hmm…this is new." Her fingers continued to explore, down Sasuke's neck and onto his chest. She splayed her fingers out over his heart, taking in the warm heat of his body. "I must say, I am quite envious of them."

"Them?" Sasuke demanded. Mikoto shook her head, the lust fading from her eyes. She quickly pulled her hand away from her son and stood, heading for the ornate doors where she'd exit the room. "At least tell me which part of the palace this is," Sasuke said in exasperation.

"You don't recognize it?" Mikoto turned, slender eyebrow raised. "I'm surprised. Why, it's your old room, of course." The raven was shocked. The two spaces couldn't have been more different.

"Then what's with the…umm…décor?" Sasuke pointed towards the walls.

"Surely you're familiar with most, if not all, that you see," his mother said coolly.

"It's not always like that," her son countered.

"Whatever," she shrugged. "Use it as inspiration if you get stuck then." Mikoto turned, her crimson robes swaying along the floor. "For the good of the king, we will all do our part."

"What is it that you and father want from me?" Sasuke called to her retreating figure. His mother said nothing, merely exited the room and continued down the hall. In her place, his father had now entered the room, his expression grim as always.

"An issue needs to be addressed," said Fugaku sternly.

"Yes, it does," Sasuke snapped. "Now answer me. Why did you kill everyone at the house? They had committed no crime."

"I'm your father, I do not have to explain anything to you," Fugaku replied coldly.

"Master Pein was more of a father to me than you'll ever be," Sasuke snarled.

With that, Fugaku strode across to the room to his son's bedside, his giant hands encircling Sasuke's neck. There was no question about Fugaku's strength, and Sasuke felt every inch of it as he squeezed his throat, tighter and tighter. "Listen to me, Sasuke," his father ground out each word, "You will, never, ever, show anyone more respect than me! Nor will you ever speak to me like that again." Sasuke struggled, his hands pawing at his father's, nails tearing at the skin. Blackness enclosed in Sasuke's vision, breaths coming harder and harder. Not being able to form any coherent words, the raven merely nodded, at which his father finally released his iron grip. "Good. Now behave yourself and be an obedient son. "

"Bastard," Sasuke panted, staggering to his feet and off the bed. He could care less about his injury, as he lunged towards his father, rage propelling him every step of the way. Fugaku viciously slapped his son away, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"You've always been a difficult child. Seems you still have to be trained." His father reached for the leather strap at his waist, flexed his wrist, and then sent the hardened leather smacking across Sasuke's back.

OOooOOooOO

Itachi had just put his hand on the knob to Sasuke's room when he heard the first crack of the whip against flesh. The older Uchiha shuddered, remembering how his father used to do the same to him, especially after finding out about his little 'problem.' His crimson eyes narrowed, his hand pulling away from the door. Sasuke would survive. He turned, heading back the way he came, his brow raised, seeing locks being fitted to the outside of Sasuke's door.

OOooOOooOO

Naruto couldn't have been happier as he stumbled into his meager home. Limping slightly, the blond hobbled over to his bed, sitting down carefully so as not to let anything hit his sensitive, sun-scorched skin. Giving a frustrated sigh, Naruto ran his hands though his shaggy locks, sand still falling from them. "Gah! I can't remember anything that happened last night or why I was just laying out there in the desert like that," he muttered. "And what kind of crazy animal bit me!" He mumbled about how he should just get himself together and back out delivering water. Stifling a yawn, he found himself snuggling down into his bed instead, which felt hard as rock normally, but now, seemed like the softest of feathers. "Just a few more minutes couldn't hurt," he said sleepily.

OOooOOooOO

"In here, sir," said Gaara, lifting the flap to Naruto's slave quarters right as the captain stormed inside. Neji was pissed, no one missed work on his watch. Taking the whip that Gaara carried, he laid it out, then lifted it to snap across Naruto's chest.

"Owww!" Naruto cried, tears stinging at his eyes. "It burns!"

"This is nothing compared to what is in store for you," Neji snarled, who now was face to face with the blond. Light purple eyes glazed with ferocity bore into Naruto's wide azure ones.

"Crap!" the blond thought to himself. He noticed the room was dark, the day already over. Five minutes…his nap was more like five hours! He gulped nervously, babbling, "You don't understand. You see, last night I was delivering water in the tombs and…and…"

"And?" Neji prodded harshly.

"And I…well…," Naruto fumbled for something to say, anything really, but no words would come out.

"Perhaps you'll be less tongue-tied after a bit of persuasion," Neji smiled sadistically. "It's actually more fun when you put up a fight." Turning to Gaara, he ordered, "Take this slave down below. It seems that the apple does not fall far from the tree. " Naruto glared at the captain.

"Yes, sir!" came the recited reply. The blond paled.

OOooOOooOO

Naruto threw his hands up to eyes as the slab to his prison was removed, the sun's powerful rays cascading through the crisscrossed iron bars of his cell. He just knew that Neji stood above him, smirking and so damn smug.

"Three days," said the captain. Naruto was shocked, that's all it'd been? It felt more like three months since he was thrown into this tiny, cramped pit. "Are you ready to talk, slave?" Neji barked, sliding the blunt end of his spear down into the pit, smacking it against Naruto.

"Like I told you before," the blond bit back. "I can't tell you what I don't know."

"Not good enough!" Neji growled, smacking Naruto again, this time harder than before.

"Dammit," Naruto snarled, gripping the spear end, snapping it in half. He then took the broken half and tossed it up at Neji, hitting the captain right in the thigh with its deadly tip. The captain let out a curse, and toppled to his butt. "What the hell was I thinking?" Naruto was mortified. He dare attack the captain? He saw a few spear shards still lying on the ground. The material was one of the toughest around, and no man could just snap it in half with his bare hands. Naruto's eyes travelled over his hands, his fingers flexing. He knew he was strong, but that was just….crazy.

"How dare you!" Neji snarled from above. "Such defiance will not be tolerated." The snapping of fingers was heard, and a white box now hovered above the pit, suspended by a rope, and attached to another spear. "Do you know what's in here?" said Neji. Naruto shook his head no, knowing that the captain was a sick and twisted bastard when it came to torture. "Tell you what, I'll give you a sneak peek." Slowly the box was opened by another soldier, and Naruto could hear the skittering of many, many, legs. The captain reached in with a heavily gloved hand and extracted a large black scorpion. Sweat broke out along Naruto's brow seeing the ugly creature, and he tried to get as far away from the iron grate as he could. "You should fear me as you do this creature," Neji sneered. "For it, like I, have great power and ability. If you should disturb such things, it will be irritated and become dangerous indeed." He swung the scorpion lazily over the bars. "We'll try this again. Explain to me why you missed out on a day's work and ditched your duties. Did you think that you would not be caught?"

"No sir…I…" Naruto began, only to be cut off abruptly.

"HA! No one escapes from my watchful eyes. And if they do, they do not go unpunished!" Neji snarled, flicking his wrist and sending the scorpion flying into Naruto's cell. Or it would have been flying if it hadn't been caught by a raven that swooped in and gobbled it up.

A deep voice whispered into Neji's ear. "He would be useless if you were to poison him with that. If he were to die, the wages would come from your pocket, and it would be rather annoying to find someone else to take his spot. Unless you were volunteering?" Itachi asked.

"N…N…No sir," Neji replied hastily, bowing rapidly. "Forgive me, my lord. I was merely 'toying' with him for awhile for skipping out on his duties."

"Well, go 'toy' with someone else," Itachi dismissed the captain, choosing instead to stare down into the pit. "What is your name?"

"Naruto, my lord," he was in awe. First the Pharaoh saves him, and now, he's speaking to him.

"Naruto…Hmm…," Itachi grew lost in thought as he petted his raven. "Bring him up," he ordered his men after a minute of debate. The iron grate was removed, the key clicking into the lock like music to Naruto's ears. Two guards reached in and pulled the blonde to the surface. "Look at me," Itachi commanded. The blond immediately locked gazes with Itachi, his azure eyes glossing over as he grew lost in the crimson-flecked gaze. Itachi had little trouble sorting through the mist in the blonde's mind. He ignored the memories of a happy past and loving father, searching for something that just seemed 'off' about the teen. His powers brought him deep into Naruto's subconscious, and there, sat a black jackal. It's large, long ears stood erect on the top of its head, twitching lazily, causing the three golden earrings that hung on the lower part of its ears to clink against one another softly. Around its front paws were golden cuffs, decorated in sparkling jewels. Itachi went in for a closer look, then paused when the jackal looked up, its blood red eyes narrowing right on the Pharaoh. It rose to its feet, flicking its long, serpentine tail.

"Soon," the creature said, grinning savagely.

Itachi's head shook as he broke contact with Naruto. The blond staggered backwards, the guards adjusting their grip to hold up the weakened teen. Itachi was deeply troubled by what he saw, but what did it mean? His crow flapped its wings in irritation, mimicking how Itachi felt. "Take him to my brother."

"Your…your…brother?" Naruto panted. Itachi said nothing as he turned. The guards and Naruto followed suit as they all headed towards the Uchiha palace. "That's perfect," Naruto said softly, his lips curing into a tiny grin, exposing two tiny fangs.

OOooOOooOO

Sasuke sat dazed in his darkened room. He'd been back for only a week, and it'd been worse than anything back at the house. It'd taken only two more days for his ankle to heal, but nearly a week for the bruises around his neck and along his back and thighs to fade. But he'd take the beatings rather than his newfound curse that had flared to life. Unexpectedly, the door was opened, and a figure stepped inside. "Go away," Sasuke growled, not taking his eyes from the hieroglyphics he was destroying.

"Good to see you too, Sasuke," Itachi replied dryly.

"I said, go away!" Sasuke yelled, a statue sailing by his older brother's head, missing him by mere inches. It was dark, but Itachi could see his little brother's eyes, red as blood, surrounded by inky darkness. Itachi's own crimson colored eyes sparkled in the moonlight, narrowing them as he observed the room, which was covered in blood. Now pacing on all fours, his little brother was nothing of the cool and collected person he usually was. He saw Sasuke slink into a sliver of moonlight, seeing his brother's corpse like skin and large, hand shaped wings, tipped with razor sharp talons, protruding from his back. Sasuke's hair was longer, falling in disarray around his usually smooth and pale face, the color now ashen grey, while a dark star shape spread across his nose. "I'll kill you," Sasuke spat, slashing his claws and baring his fangs. "This is all your fault."

Itachi was fast, slipping behind Sasuke and taking his wrists into his own hands. "I did not choose to have a curse placed on me, and either did you," he hissed. Sasuke's fury kept him struggling, his wings flapping wildly, knocking over statues, figurines, and furniture. "Do you want father to come in here and see you like this?" the elder snapped.

"No," Sasuke whispered, his voice raw.

Itachi turned his brother so they now stood face to face. "No matter how bad things get, you must never give in to despair. It makes you weak."

"Weak?" Sasuke whispered heatedly. "I'm the weak one? I think you are mistaken, nii-san. You're the one that's infertile, aren't you? You can't have any children and that's why, I'm being forced to…" Sasuke was furious just thinking about the situation.

"That's just the half of it, Sasuke," Itachi replied coolly. "But you are obviously not in any mood to talk about this so I'll be going now. "

"No, wait." Sasuke wasted no time in pressing his lips against his brother's, desperate for contact. Itachi was shocked, his mouth opening slightly, allowing Sasuke's tongue entrance. The silky appendage entangled itself with the other. Sasuke's hands, now free, went to entwine themselves into his brother's long raven hair. The raven's claws pulled at Itachi's locks, his lips leaving his brother's as they now traveled down his brother's jaw line. "Nii-san," he murmured between licks. As he approached Itachi's neck, his fangs extended, tearing into his brother's flesh at the pulse.

"Dammit, Sasuke," Itachi flinched. He shifted away, but the younger drew him closer, reaching around his brother's robe and fondling a tight nipple. Sasuke's other hand went lower still, to where Itachi's member had begun to harden and rise. Encouraged by this, Sasuke placed a hand on top of it, and began to massage. Gently at first, though each move was rather precise and...practiced? The raven went to remove more of Itachi's robes when his brother took him by arm, twisting it behind his back.

"Gah!" Sasuke barked. "Why are we stopping?"

"What do you think you're doing?" he said heatedly. His eyes then narrowed in realization. Itachi wasn't sure if he was more angry or insulted. He released his brother as if he were poison.

"Nii-san, " Sasuke pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Itachi flicked his brother in the forehead, then headed for the door. "I would suggest you get yourself under control. Father will be returning shortly."

OOooOOooOO

"Do you have to be so rough," Naruto muttered, hating to be pushed along the hallways of the Uchiha palace. He was being shoved along by a pair of guards, one of them being Neji. The captain was angrier than usual, being especially aggressive with his spear. He hated to be late. But they needn't have hurried as Gaara halted them at the doors to Sasuke's room. Naruto's eyebrows rose seeing the large chains that wound themselves around and through the handles.

"I'm sorry sir," Gaara said, "but the prince's room needs to be cleaned. Anyone coming or going must wait for evening."

"Why was I not informed!" Neji sneered, gripping Gaara by the collar. The redhead squirmed against the captain.

"Is this him?" a new voice startled the group. Everyone turned to see a young woman, similar in age to Naruto, bowing before them, long purple robes cascading around her body. She was curvy, yet thin, her long blonde hair held up in a ponytail. "The Pharaoh has given me the order to wash and prepare this servant." Neji hmphed, pushing Gaara back against the doors, then shoving Naruto towards the girl.

"HEY!" Naruto yelped. The girl was quick, catching him before he hit the ground. Naruto was surprised, but nodded in thanks. The two then watched as Neji took off and Gaara resumed his post at the door.

"As I work for the Pharaoh, you will be serving the prince. " She surveyed Naruto's shabby attire, glancing up and down. "But first…," she pinched her nose.

"Okay, okay, I'll go into the Nile and clean off," Naruto muttered. "Geez…I just spent three days in a pit, what 'd you expect?"

"The Nile? Oh no, you don't clean there. I'll take you to the servant's bath today, but once they are finished with the prince's room, you will bathe in there."

"What?" Naruto stopped abruptly. "Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all. And you will be expected to bathe three times a day, at least," she continued.

"Three times? Is this guy compulsive or something?"

"I wouldn't know. In fact, no one knows much about him. Though he is very handsome," the girl said wistfully. Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sorry, but we really should get to the bathhouse." She took his hand and the two headed down the hallway. Naruto was in awe of the palace, its riches evident everywhere. "Don't be tempted to steal," Ino said sternly, "for punishment and death will come slowly and painfully. Oh! I'm sorry, my name is Ino." she smiled, pale blue eyes bright.

"Naruto," the blond replied, extending his hand.

"You know, you're pretty cute yourself," she winked. Naruto blushed. "Being inside the palace is a lot better than being outside of it. For starters, there are less people here, and you're actually treated like a human being. If you do well, you can advance in the palace; even make your own wages. Maybe even learn to read and write."

"That's amazing," said Naruto. "Has the Pharaoh taught you how yet?"

Ino's face fell. "Well, not yet, but he's a very busy man. In fact, you mustn't bother him. He has enough on his mind with all the strange occurrences happening."

"Strange occurrences? Like what?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Umm..you know,…stuff," Ino brushed him off nervously. "Ah, here we are. Go ahead, disrobe, and hop into a tub."

"Just any tub?" Naruto glanced around the enormous bath house. There were over thirty bathing pools with thick steam rising from each one. The area was clean, towels were hung within easy reach of each bather, and the other slaves honestly looked like they were enjoying themselves. "Wow, I didn't expect any of this."

"Surprising, isn't it? But don't let it fool you. We have a lot of work and responsibility around the palace. Go ahead and slide in with me. I have some cream that will do wonders for that nasty sunburn of yours."

"Hmm," Naruto eyed Ino, watching her shed her robes, "how bad can this be?"

OOooOOooOO

Naruto had only just sat down into the luxurious bath when water splashed over him. "Hey! What's the big idea?" he sputtered. After wiping his eyes, he saw that Sai had entered the bath as well, but was lost in thought, muttering things to himself. Naruto splashed water at him.

"Oh!" Sai's face changed from one that was strained to one that held a smile, even though it was obviously fake. "Naruto, I didn't even see you there. Sorry about that."

"Whatever," Naruto sulked.

"Hey! Congrats on the promotion."

"Yeah, so I guess that means we won't be running into each other much anymore, with me being inside the palace and all."

"On the contrary, we'll be seeing even more of each other now," Sai's smile widened.

"Fantastic," Naruto replied sarcastically. "Since you work for Sasuke too, can you tell me anything about the guy?" said the blonde.

"Honestly, I've never met the guy before." Sai's face turned sober. "Though I'm going to be in deep trouble if I can't get this horrible carving off the wall inside his pyramid."

"Carving?" asked Ino, "But aren't you the one who's in charge of all of that?"

"Yes, but neither I nor my crew created it. It just appeared there last night. And it's ugly as hell. Looks like a demon of some kind."

"Demon!" Naruto and Ino shared a nervous glance.

"Yeah. It looks like a humanized bat, with huge horrible wings from its back that look like webbed hands. It has claws, fangs, horrible red eyes, and long scraggly hair. I've never seen anything like it."

"It has to be part of the curse," said Ino, eyes wide.

"Curse?" Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Don't speak of that!" Sai hushed. "Do you want to lose your tongue?" Sighing, the artisan continued. "At any rate, it's brought my work to a standstill and that could lead to severe punishment." He ran his fingers through his short shaggy black hair, trying to think. Looking back at Naruto, he smiled again. "Whereas my punishment will be short-lived, you have a lifetime of one with that tiny thing you call a penis."

"Fuck you Sai!" Naruto roared. The blonde went to clobber the other teen, when Ino floated between the boys.

"Enough! Come on now, Naruto. We have to get you dried off and clothed. It'll be time to bring the prince his breakfast."

"Breakfast? At nightfall?" Naruto cocked a brow.

"Those were the rules," Ino returned with a shrug. She rose from the bath and grabbed a towel. Naruto went with her, eager to get away from Sai and his insults. Glancing over his shoulder, he narrowed his gaze on the dark-eyed teen, his pupils enlarging and flicking to red.

"Don't think this is over," Naruto said, his voice sounding nothing like his own. Sai blinked. As if this day wasn't strange enough.

OOooOOooOO

Back in Sasuke's tomb, Sai glared at the demonic carving. Lifting his torch higher, he noticed the carving had changed. Whereas before it stood alone, now the demon had a master. Around its neck was a golden band dripping with jewels though taut with pressure, attached to a chain which ended in the jaws of a jackal. The jackal's eyes were glowing; its jowls stretched into a sadistic grin, showing long, sharp teeth. The demon meanwhile, stood with its wings extended, terrorizing a town and its citizens. Sai leaned in closer, placing his hand on the wall, surprised when it slid into something warm and sticky. The torch was brought closer as well, revealing a trail of blood that originated from the demon's eyes. "This just keeps getting better," he drawled. "Well, I better get started. If I can get rid of this thing by morning, we won't have lost too much time. The Pharaoh doesn't even have to know." Sai reached down to his belt where he had a variety of tools hanging.

"Ow!" he shouted, pulling his stinging hand away. Looking down, he saw that the chisel he'd been about to grab, along with all of his other tools, were melting before his very eyes. Panicking, he unhooked the belt from his waist and flung it across the room. It landed with a hard thud and erupted into flames. Slowly, Sai inched backwards, only to be stopped by the wall with the strange carving. He looked up, straight into the eyes of the jackal. The carving shifted again for now, the jackal was staring down at him, its eyes ablaze. It howled, sending shivers down Sai's spine.

"You cannot change fate," it said. Sai wasted no time in running from the tomb, his footsteps echoing down the hallways. The jackal howled again, its voice filled with malice. "You should run, human. My time draws near."

----- End Chapter 3 -----


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

Chapter 4

OOooOOooOO

Naruto stared hungrily at the large serving tray he was holding. Stacked high on it was a variety of fruits, meats, poultry, and fish. To help wash it all down was large a chalice full of sweet wine. It all smelled so good, Naruto couldn't stop the drool that dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

"Make sure none of that gets on the prince's food," Ino chided.

Wiping the trail from his chin, Naruto said, "All this for one person? He must have one hell of an appetite."

"It's important the prince maintain his strength and stamina, or so I've been told," Ino replied.

"For what?" Naruto asked curiously. "I'm sure being a prince is 'oh so hard,'" he added sarcastically. "Must take a lot of energy to order people about while sitting on your royal ass."

Ino shushed him, then shook her head. What could she say other than, "Here we are," as the two approached the ornately carved doors they'd seen earlier. Plus, the same red headed guard.

"What business brings you here?" Gaara said gruffly.

"The prince's breakfast, m'lord," Ino bowed, gesturing at Naruto to do the same.

"The prince is currently busy at the moment…" Gaara began, only to broken off as a knock sounded from the other side of the door. He turned, withdrew a set of keys, and started to open the chains that wound themselves around the handles of the door.

Naruto leaned over to Ino whispering warily, "Is the prince..um..dangerous or something?" Ino shrugged for she didn't know any more than he did.

The chains gave way after a few moments and Gaara pulled open the door slightly, leaving just enough room for a person to slip through. And sure enough, out stepped a woman. Her glasses were a skewed over her nose, the gold bands around her forearms dangling haphazardly. Though both her multicolored robes along with her usually cut red hair, were disheveled looking, a sated smile was spread across her pink lips. She hummed happily down the hall, passing the trio without a second thought. Ino and Naruto raised a brow at each other. "I stand corrected," Gaara muttered. "You may go ahead."

"Now, remember what I told you," Ino murmured, "and you'll be fine." Naruto gulped nervously, took a deep breath, and then stepped inside. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the door was hastily closed behind him, the locks fit back into place.

"HEY!" Naruto called.

"What do you want?" the prince barked.

"Well, um…I have your breakfast," Naruto replied warily, his eyes squinting against the darkness.

"The table to your left, set it there," came the curt reply.

"What table? I can't see anything!" Naruto replied, frustrated. "Why was it so dark in here anyways?" he scowled. A sigh was heard, then a candle came flickering to life on said table. The candle's flame was moderate at best, doing little to highlight the room. Naruto could see a variety of statues and hieroglyphics, but nothing was distinguishable.

"Well?" Sasuke snapped.

"Right, right," Naruto stammered, placing the now rather heavy tray onto the smooth wood of the table. He could see it was stunning, the legs of the piece carved into slithering snakes. He then heard a chair being pulled back as a body slipped into it. "M'lord," he bowed, getting down on his knees.

"Don't do that, it's irritating," the prince said, clearly annoyed. He said no more, choosing instead to survey the food before him. Naruto risked a glance up, wanting to get a good look at this mysterious prince, though a slick profile was all he was offered this time. He could tell the guy was tall, lean, and very toned. He sat eating his food, with a sheet slung low around his hips. Four earrings strung through his ear glistened in the candlelight, along with the four bands of gold that were wrapped around his neck. His hair was hastily combed through with his fingers, though it did nothing to calm the spikes that shot out from the back. Long, split bangs covered most of his face.

Naruto squinted at the prince and took a risk. He started to shift forward when his stomach let out a loud growl. The prince paused while eating, rising a brow at the slave. Naruto knew he should have eaten something eariler, but he was too nervous. Sweat broke out along his brow and he didn't dare look up. Silence reigned for a moment, then there was the sound of something sliding towards Naruto. He risked a peek, his one azure eye looking up into two onyx colored ones. The prince said nothing, turned away, and headed towards the small window near the bed. The blond watched him go, his gaze then dropping to see that most of the food he'd brought in for Sasuke was now in front of him. He sat up, mouth hanging open. "But…m'lord, I mustn't," he declined regretfully. The prince shrugged, continuing to stare out into the night.

Naruto looked back and forth between the food placed in front of him and the window where the prince was standing. He waited to see if this was all a joke, but nothing happened. Figuring it was okay, he fervently dove into the food, relishing in the wonderfulness of it all. He hadn't had anything like this since, well, _never_. Everything was so delicious; he couldn't believe he was eating it! The meat was juicy, the chicken tender, the wine sweet, the fruit ripe and golden. After he'd eaten his fill, he leaned back, patting his round tummy.

"Naruto, it's time to go now!" Ino called from the other side of the door.

"Uh..sure…I'm coming," Naruto replied hastily. He rose from his spot on the floor, dusting crumbs from his tunic. He knocked on the door three times, then took a step back as Gaara worked the locks and prepared to open the door. Looking over his shoulder, he wanted to say something to Sasuke, to thank him, but the prince was nowhere to be seen. "Sasuke?" he called. "I mean…m'lord?" A loud click was heard, the door sliding open.

"Come," Gaara ordered. "The prince has work to do." Naruto nodded, collecting the now empty food tray. "My, the prince has had an usually healthy appetite tonight. The king will be glad to hear of it." Naruto was thinking about that when he nearly knocked over someone.

"How dare you, slave!" the girl hissed. "Can you not see where you are going?"

"Of course I can!" Naruto shot back.

Ino quickly intervened. "He did not, and for that, one thousand apologies, m'lady."

"Make sure it does not happen again," the girl hmphed. "Now my robes are all wrinkled and smell like slave. Though I suppose it won't matter much, seeing as they won't be on for long," she added coyly. "I'm going in. Make sure we are not interrupted before morning." She tossed a bag of jewels to Gaara. The redhead just looked at her, not caring either way about her short, bubble gum pink hair or sharp jade eyes. Her long pink robes flowed like water as she walked into Sasuke's room, pulling the door closed behind her.

OOooOOooOO

Sakura smiled happily as entered the room. Despite how the doors were locked behind her, she was not afraid. Though the room was dark, she was not all that interested in what was in here, but rather, _who_. She could barely calm her rapidly beating heart. Just as her eyes were beginning to adjust, six candles suddenly flared to life. The soft shadows played across Sasuke's body in a sensual way. She wanted her hands to do the same. Just one look at the prince and Sakura was in love. She eagerly started to remove her robes, but was stopped by deft fingers.

"Let me," he whispered huskily into her ear. His hands slid around her body, bringing her close to him. He lavished butterfly kisses along her neck and shoulders while his hands worked her free of her clothing. Sakura blushed deeply, her body turning towards Sasuke, eyes fluttering. He met her gaze, cupping her cheek, then moving his fingers under her chin to lift it. Their lips came together in a heated kiss. Sakura felt bolts of lightning shoot through her, her arms instantly going down south, fingers desperate to remove the sheet that hung dangerously low around Sasuke's waist. To Sakura's dismay, Sasuke pulled back, taking a moment to survey his latest concubine. She had a decent enough body, though her chest was small, her skin slightly tanned, her eyes too wide and green, and her forehead,. much too wide. He frowned.

"Have I displeased you, m'lord?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Stop doing that!" Sasuke scolded himself silently. He needed to stop comparing every girl to Konan. "Nonsense," he said smoothly. "You're perfect as you are." Sasuke led her towards the lush bed. "Lie on your stomach." Sakura readily complied, settling in comfortably atop the plush sheets. Sasuke soon loomed over her, his hands moving to massage her shoulders, back, and buttocks. Sakura smelled cinnamon, her body relaxing as the scented oils filled the air around them. She closed her eyes, sighing happily. After Sasuke had lathered her body, he started at her feet, kissing the soles and ankles, then working his way up, catching the back of her knees in kisses, nips, and pecks. As he made his way toward her womanly folds, he held his hands on her hips, keeping her in place. Leaning in, Sasuke could tell she was already ready. Smiling devilishly, he teased her there, using his lips and tongue to taunt her. Then, he deftly slid a finger inside, adding more as the minutes went by. She arched into his touch, craving more. But this was the first time with this girl, and he had to pace himself. Shifting slightly, Sasuke withdrew his fingers. Sakura whimpered missing his presence within her, though was secretly hoping he was going to put more inside her. But Sasuke choose instead to carefully flip her over, taking one of her breasts into the palm of his hand, cupping it, while his lips went to the other, teeth nipping at the perky nipple. Sakura moaned in pleasure, one hand still gripped to Sasuke's shoulder, nails digging into his pale flesh, while the other went lower for the sheet around Sasuke's waist, twisting it in her hand and getting ready to pull it off.

Sasuke abruptly stopped pleasuring her, to grasp her wandering wrist. Sakura was startled, but quickly put at ease as Sasuke kissed her hand, palm, and down along her arm. The kisses were rough this time, her skin getting pinched along the way. Sasuke's hold on Sakura's wrist grew tighter, harsher. She felt sharp nails digging into her flesh. Then, the bed groaned as Sasuke brought his full weight on top of her, straddling and pinning her to the bed.

"Sasuke, you're hurting me," Sakura said anxiously. She glanced up at the raven and let out a gasp. His eyes blazed red, the whites of his eyes having gone black. She could see where fangs had protruded from his lips, cutting them in the process, leaving small trails of blood.

"Hurting you? No." He crushed her wrist with his hand, bones crunching. "This is hurting you," he whispered into her ear. "You have no idea how much I want to rip into you, carve you up into a million tiny pieces, bathe in your blood…" Sakura's eyes widened in fear seeing strange black marks cover Sasuke's body. She squirmed underneath him, her eyes watering with tears. Sasuke licked his lips hungrily seeing blood ooze down Sakura's arm from her snapped wrist. He wasted no time in tearing into the wound, causing more pain to the girl beneath him. Sakura let out a terrified scream.

OOooOOooOO

Naruto stood on the other side of the door. Although he couldn't see inside, he had a pretty good idea of what was happening. God, he was good. His eyes were large and red, a savage smile spread across his lips. He took great pleasure in the girl's torture, but it was short-lived as footsteps came hurrying down the hall. "Damn," Naruto muttered. "Well, until we play again," he waved. Naruto's eyes fluttered, the red fading to be replaced with his usual azure. "Huh? What? Why am I here?" He looked around, furring his brow. Two people soon rounded the corner. Naruto wasted no time in dodging behind one of the nearby statues, crunching down in order to stay hidden. It was then he noticed Gaara lying unconscious on the ground by the prince's door.

OOooOOooOO

Hearing Sakura scream stopped Sasuke dead in his tracks. His face shifted between dread and confusion. He glanced down at her tear stained face, then travelled up her arm to her broken wrist. Blood continued to drain from the wound, covering his own fingers and trailing down his arm as well. He saw multiple puncture wounds dotting her arm and chest. The raven tore himself off of Sakura, his body shaking. The smell of blood hung so heavy in the room, he could practically taste it. "Oh god," he warily touched his lips and found more of the offending liquid. He turned away, dropped to his knees and vomited. He broke out in a sweat hearing voices from the hallway, one of which was his fathers. Sasuke wiped the rest of the blood from his mouth and chin, then looked back at the girl. She'd live, he noted with relief. Sakura eyed him guardedly, a blanket wrapped around her, her injured wrist cradled inside. She demanded an explanation, you could see it in her eyes, but the raven could offer none.

The doors flung open, Fugaku and another man charging inside the room along with three guards.

"Daddy!" Sakura cried.

"What have you done to my daughter?" the man glared daggers at Sasuke.

"Dammit boy!" Fugaku snarled. "I'll deal with you in a minute." Turning towards the other man he said steadily, "Lord Haruno, take your daughter. I'll have one of my guards escort you both to our personal doctor. I assure you she will be well treated."

"She had better be," Lord Haruno ground out. Gathering Sakura up into his arms, the two exited the room.

Fugaku's fury was ready to be unleashed. "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to embarrass me?" He grabbed onto Sasuke's upper arm harshly. "This little incident is not going to go over well with your reputation."

"Reputation? Hard to build one when I can never leave this room," Sasuke countered.

"Shut up," Fugaku slapped Sasuke across the face. "Guards! Restrain him." Two men stepped forward, shoving Sasuke to the floor. They withdrew leather ropes and proceeded to tie the young Uchiha's wrists and ankles together. The sheet Sasuke wore was barely hanging on. "Good. Now you two, out!" Fugaku commanded to the guards who bowed and quickly left, closing the door behind them. "You know," Fugaku sneered to his son, "if it wasn't for that cock of yours, you wouldn't even be back here."

"I didn't ask to come back," Sasuke ground out.

"Ask? You'll do as you're told with no questions. That is final." Fugaku reached for a small patch of leather, which was attached on his belt, then bent down to shove it inside Sasuke's mouth. "Hmm…I bet your 'master,'" he smirked, "taught you about kinky games like this." Sasuke's eyes widened. "Don't worry your pretty little ass though, I'm not going to hurt what's keeping you alive. As for the rest of you…well, that's another story." He withdrew a long thin whip, one that was usually reserved for oxen that were misbehaving. He sent it slapping across Sasuke's side. It hurt like hell, but Sasuke wouldn't give his father the satisfaction of knowing that. Pein taught him to be strong, told him that his occupation could get violent, though he didn't think that such violence would come from his own father. He curled himself into a ball as best he could, covering vitals. The whips stung every time they came down, blackness invading his vision. After nearly a half hour of agonizing pain, his father stopped. "Do something like that again, and next time, you won't be so lucky."

"Dear," Mikoto stepped quietly into Sasuke's room, "there are issues that need your attention immediately." Fugaku grunted in reply. He took his leave, but only after giving Sasuke a swift kick to the ribs. Mikoto watched him go, then stood inside, scowling at the bloodied sheets and floor. She sighed, seeing Sasuke lying on the floor, breathing shallowly and looking very pale. She glided over to him, knelt down, and removed the saliva filled, blood soaked gag.

"Mom?" he rasped. Mikoto said nothing as she set about to untying the binds around her son's ankles and wrists. He lifted his head, dark eyes narrowing at his mother.

"Don't look at me like that," she chided. "You brought this upon yourself. Attacking that poor girl like that," she tsked. "And here your father was counting on a successful coupling of you and the Haruno girl. Good thing she's so infatuated with you, so there is still some hope."

"No," Sasuke deadpanned, spitting out blood.

"No? You don't have a choice, child. But don't think that Sakura's the only one. There are plenty of ladies and lords to whom you'll entertain and perform for. In return, the Uchiha dynasty will grow, receive lands, wealth, and heirs. That is the role you will play."

"Just wait until I am Pharaoh," Sasuke challenged.

"When you become Pharaoh?" Mikoto snorted. She stood gracefully, then exited the room without a backward glance.

Sasuke watched her leave in silence. He was both shocked and hurt to hear the reality of things. This was not how things were supposed to go. Narrowing his eyes, he swore he wouldn't let his parents win. And so, willing himself to his feet, he went to go get himself cleaned up and bathed.

OOooOOooOO

Naruto watched as Sakura and her father left the room. The girl's wrist seemed pretty messed up and blood was dripping down her arm. She was whimpering, torn between shock and pain. Gulping nervously, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what happened. After that, he'd heard some whips bearing down on something or someone, but the only people to exit the room next were the ex-Pharaoh and his wife. Then, the door was closed, replaced with a new guard and orders that the prince wasn't 'available' for at least a week. Gaara was being dragged off as soon as he regained consciousness. How unlike the stoic guard to slack off while on duty.

"There you are, Naruto," said Ino, stomping her foot in irritation.

"Ack!" Naruto was so startled he nearly leapt out of his skin. "Don't do that!" he hissed at the girl.

"What are you doing?

"Just..uh…cleaning?" he returned lamely.

Ino raised a brow. "Okay, sure. But never mind that. You're to bring oils to the prince now. You're lucky I have the materials with me." She shoved a large tray of wonderfully scented oils and soaps into the blonde's hands. "Now get going. And don't be late!"

OOooOOooOO

Naruto was ushered back into Sasuke's room, the guard having locked the doors behind him once again. The room seemed brighter now, the morning sun beginning to rise. He looked around, seeing the décor for the first time. The whole room was decorated with nothing but sex and sexual innuendos. Not to mention the bed, with its intertwined snakes sensually wound around each other. Hell, it even smelled like sex…and blood? Naruto paled. What happened in this room? He heard the sound of water running, coming from a back room. Hesitantly, he made his way towards it. Crossing into the other room was a welcome relief from the perverse bedroom.

Naruto stared in awe. This was the most amazing bathroom he'd ever seen. A giant glistening pool filled with steaming hot water sat in the center of the room. He could see that water had been brought up from below by use of a levee system that sat off to his right. Figures the guy didn't have to fill his own tub, thought Naruto with a huff. Along the walls were pillars adored with vines and leaves. On the inset of the pillars were torch bases, each containing a dancing flame. There were palms and various plants decorating the room as well, giving it an oasis feel. Naruto felt himself relax, but only for a moment. Sasuke stood off to his left, a bloodied sheet wrapped around his hips. He was battered and bruised, cuts and welts covering his body. He looked pissed though, anger flashing through his dark eyes. He tore the bloodied sheet from his hips, tossing aside the soiled cloth.

"Gah!" Naruto flinched, shutting his eyes. "Tell a guy when you're going to do something like that!"

Sasuke was startled, though he quickly composed himself. Despite the situation, he found a small smile pulling at his lips. This slave reacted similarly to how he did the first time he saw another man naked. Well, he'd get used to it. Shrugging, he carefully hoisted himself down into the bath. At first the water felt harsh against his wounded flesh, but then, it began to ease his pain. He turned towards Naruto. "Come." Naruto nodded warily, then went to approach the prince. He carefully set the tray of oils to one side, then backed away. "What are you doing?" Sasuke asked curiously. "Do you not know the process of bathing?"

"I know how to bathe," Naruto countered.

"I'm sure you do," Sasuke placed his arms outside along the rim of the tub. "But your duties also involve bathing me." Naruto's jaw dropped. "Now get to it."

"What if I refuse," Naruto said stubbornly, his face growing red at the thought.

"Well, I could have you thrown in jail and left to rot. Or I could have your hands severed from your arms. Or maybe leave you out in the desert for the vultures to feast upon your flesh. And then there's always…"

"Okay, I get it," Naruto replied sullenly. He went to work emptying the contents of the oils into the bath water, the pleasant scent of lavender filling the room. Taking up a soft terra cloth, he rubbed it atop a bar of soap, then knelt behind Sasuke's back. The raven shifted to move forward, giving the blond better access. Naruto hesitantly put the cloth at Sasuke's back, beginning to rub carefully along the pale flesh. Sasuke relaxed against the motion, only flinching when the cloth ran across an open wound. After the raven's back and shoulders were cleaned, Naruto went for the shampoo, pooling some of the golden liquid into his hands, massaging them together, then working them into Sasuke's black locks. Not bad, Sasuke thought to himself. Naruto tapped him on the shoulder, signaling he was done, and Sasuke dipped beneath the pool's surface to rinse. After he rose, Naruto offered him a towel, settling back on his haunches while the prince wiped his face.

The blonde's eyes shifted to red as they surveyed the prince's back. On his right hand, the nails grew into long, sharp talons. Smiling, he slid them across Sasuke's back, cutting shallow but drawing fresh blood. He took the small droplets of blood that hung from his talons, dropping it into one of the empty vials from the oils.

"What the hell are you doing back there?" Sasuke growled. Naruto shook his head, his mind in a haze.

"More soap?" he offered hastily. Sasuke stretched his back, the action making him flinch. Was there no space on his body that wasn't abused? He frowned. Oh yeah, of course there was _that_. Needing something to lift his mood, he stared back at Naruto, who was now clumsily cleaning up the used products.

"You're not done yet," Sasuke drawled. "My whole front needs a good scrub down."

"Of course, m'lord," Naruto returned sarcastically. "Turn around then."

"Nope. I'm comfortable this way," Sasuke replied casually as he leaned back against the tub's wall.

"Well then, how am I supposed to…" Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what he had to do. "You want me to…to…" Sasuke merely nodded, a smirk playing across his lips. "Teme," he muttered.

"What was that, slave?" Sasuke responded, challenge in his voice.

"I have a name, you know," Naruto shot back, "and it's not slave."

"Is that so? Well then, what are you going to do to deserve to be called by that name, hmmm?" He gestured towards the water. "I suppose something will come up." Naruto ground his teeth, he knew what he had to do, but he sure as hell didn't want to be called slave forever. Sighing, he went to the opposite side of the bath and began to disrobe. The plain, white tunic he wore fell to the ground as Naruto quickly slid into the water. Sasuke eyed the slave as he waited patiently for him to come over and finish what he'd started. Naruto couldn't help but sigh in bliss as the steaming water felt so good. "Well?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Naruto mumbled, crossing the water to Sasuke's side. He reached over the prince's head, gathering up the soap and washcloth. Once in hand, Naruto began to tentatively dab at Sasuke's chest. He was impressed, seeing the pale pecks and torso lean and toned. Despite the whip marks, of course. He slid the cloth along one of the welts when Sasuke cringed, then reached for his wrist, catching it in his hand. Naruto tried to recoil away, remembering what had happened to that girl's wrist earlier.

"Be careful," Sasuke said tensely. Seeing the anxiety on Naruto's face, he released his grip, eyes darting away. "That's enough for today," he said abruptly. The raven rose, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his hips. He stepped from the tub, water dripping to the floor. Before he left, he paused. "Your name. What is it?"

The blonde was shocked. "Naruto."

"Maybe, _dobe_ would be more appropriate," Sasuke smirked.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder. Naruto shied away for a moment, then blurt out, "Did your parents beat you?"

Sasuke stiffened. "That's none of your concern," he said flatly. The prince returned hastily to the bedroom.

"Oh, I think it is," Naruto said smugly, leaning back against the tub's wall. He smiled, fangs exposed. "For they will be the first to die. But first…" the blond eyed the small vial filled with the raven's blood. "It's time for the ritual."

OOooOOooOO

END CHAPTER 4

Enjoy and thanks for reading. Please leave a comment!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

Chapter 5 – The Revival

OOooOOooOO

By the time Naruto left the bath, it was nearly morning. He stepped back into the bedroom, dressed in his usual white linens, and looking for Sasuke. The sun's rays were already filtering in, filling the room with blues, purples, reds, and oranges. The statues and décor were overwhelming and tacky to him, but when did his opinion matter anyways? He headed back to the door, about to knock so he could start on the day's chores, when he paused, hearing the faint sound of breathing. "So, the prince is human after all," he drawled, placing one hand on his hip. Sasuke was asleep on his large, lush bed, the sheets pulled down, the raven's toned chest rising and falling in tune with his soft breaths.

"Sleep while you can, pet," Naruto's voice lowered, savage glee lacing it. Inside the blonde's tunic lay the vial that contained Sasuke's blood he'd taken last night. He lovingly patted it, smiling, fangs slipping from his lips. "I'd love to play with you, but I have a ritual I need to perform," said Naruto, turning back to the door and knocking briskly. The guard on the other side set about to undoing the chains, then opened the door for the blonde. Naruto exited, pausing slightly to look back at the sleeping Uchiha, wondering if…

"Hey! Get a move on, slave!" the guard snapped. Naruto glowered at the other man, making a mental note. He'd die for such insolence! Didn't he know who he was talking to? Oh yeah, it was kind of hard to tell being stuck in a teenager's body. But that would change soon enough.

OOooOOooOO

Naruto made his way out of the palace, keeping to the shadows and lying low. The sooner he could reach his destination, the better. Things were going rather well until he was stopped by Ino.

"Where are you off to?" she asked. Naruto shrugged. "You know the rules. While the prince is sleeping, you should be too."

"Sleeping? Now how could I sleep on a day like today?" Naruto grinned broadly. He certainly seemed excited about something. Ino furred her brow. Today didn't seem different from any other day. "Bye, now!" Naruto said eagerly, easing past her.

"Wait!" Ino reached out, grasping onto Naruto's arm. The blond narrowed his eyes at her, a flash of red flickering across them.

"Let go of me," Naruto whispered in a deadly tone.

Figuring he'd had a rough night, she'd let him slide, but just this once. "Fine then. Go, if you must, but don't get caught. I will cover for you," she added reluctantly.

"Well, that was unexpected," Naruto mused to himself. "I'll have to remember that." He nodded curtly, and then slunk off, headed out toward the desert and the Valley of the Kings. Ino just watched as her friend grew smaller on the horizon. Whatever he was doing, she'd trust him.

OOooOOooOO

Sometime later, Naruto found himself in front of Sasuke's pyramid. He frowned, wondering why the draw of his own burial chamber and Sasuke's was the same. Come to think of it, this whole tomb didn't look like his at all. Looking around, he saw quite a few people about; though most were too busy moving bricks and supplies to notice one unimportant slave. Satisfied no one was looking his direction, he stealthily slipped inside. Pace quickening, he picked up a torch that hung from the side wall and headed deeper inside. He saw that the walls were plain limestone, void of any of the hieroglyphics that told his amazing story of sex, power, and destruction. Odd seeing as he himself had commissioned his own artisans to paint such graphic and detailed images. There were supposed to be huge tapestries as well, telling of his reign. This place was practically brand new, it's story yet to be told. If that was the case, why was he here in the first place? Could his internal draw be wrong?

After wondering what Naruto thought was in aimlessness, he found himself stopped in front of a large, wide, flat wall. Slowly putting a hand up to it, it pulsed back, recognition flooding through him. Okay, he'd put up with the front of his chamber being rebuilt, but inside here was the real worth of his gold, jewels, and bounty. Fervently, he searched the wall for the hidden inseam he knew was there. Once that was found, he felt for the sealant that held it in place. Elongating one of his nails to a wicked point, he dug it into the sealant and began to slice at it as he made his way along the edge of the door. Hearing the sealant 'pop,' the door groaned as it slid open. Naruto quickly dodged a blast of poison that was shot out at him. Bringing his tunic up to cover his nose and mouth, he stepped inside the hidden tunnel. "Almost forgot about that. And that was the_ easy_ one."

The tunnel zigged and zagged for nearly an hour, though Naruto was never bored, dodging all the traps he'd personally commissioned to be installed. Finally the corridor opened up into a spacious cavern. A very empty, shambled cavern. "Wha?" Naruto's eyes were wide with shock. This was one of his great rooms, filled with treasure, gold, statues, tapestries, everything. The only thing in here now was sand, dust, and rocks. Seething, he headed across the vast emptiness, passing more empty, stripped rooms, in search of his burial chamber. Once inside the once fantastic room, his jaw dropped. The place was in shambles and stripped of everything. Columns lie on their sides, crumbling. Tables and shelves that once held magnificent treasures where lying askew, covered in layers of sand. The hieroglyphics along the walls were scratched up so badly there was no way anyone could read what they had said. Taking a deep breath to calm his fraying nerves, he knew it wasn't tomb robbers who did this. "Damn Shodai and his priests, trying to erase me from history!" he roared. Stomping to his sarcophagus, he flipped the lid from the stripped casket. He looked inside, red eyes blazing seeing the disheveled mummy with its pitiful remains wrapped in fraying linen. He remembered that day, the day they buried him alive.

"Get a grip," Naruto told himself. "Ironic how this kid's personality has affected me so. I'd never lose myself like this in my real body." Clenching his fist, he slammed them on the edges on the coffin. He'd just have to get it all back. This time, his name will be more widespread than ever! At least his body remained and he had the vial of blood. But first, he strode towards the jackal stone creatures that stood watch over his body. They too were in horrible shape, one more so than the other. Cracks littered their bodies, ears, toes, tail tips were missing, color faded. "Get up," he said flatly, placing his hand on each of the statues' heads. The stone began to crack, a warm light filtering through the fallen pieces. The first to shift was a woman; her stony exterior changing to one filled with luscious curves and tanned flesh. Silvery purple hair cascaded down her back, though the woman wasted no time in getting it put into a spiky updo, tendrils falling by her ears. She rose to her full height, which towered over Naruto. She was lean, curvy, had large ample breasts, and could care less about how she was flaunting her naked body around.

"Who the hell are you?" she hissed angrily.

"Guren," Naruto spoke flatly. "Shut up."

"How dare you tell me to…" she stopped short, seeing those familiar red and black eyes swirl up at her. "My lord," she bowed, "it actually worked."

"Of course it did," Naruto snapped, "you and Zetsu allowed my spirit to enter this body, using it to seek out the blood of my descendant. Speaking of Zetsu…" he turned, raising a brow. Guren leaned over as well, gasping as the other jackal statue shattered, crumbling to the sands below it.

"Why didn't he.." Guren began curiously.

"Apparently, he was too damaged to make the change. No matter, his purpose was served." Naruto shrugged. His interest in Zetsu was brief, his hands going instead to that of his most prized concubine. Guren was lovely, her body smooth, hair soft. Her attitude was one of complete opposite. She was a devious bitch, always with a hidden agenda, though she was extremely loyal to him. Crafty and sultry, she always got her way and what she wanted. Except for the full commitment from him. But then again, he was never one to settle down. "You are beautiful," Naruto whispered huskily to her. "It has been much too long since I've touched a woman."

"And since I have touched a man," Guren replied silkily. She rounded her eyes on her lord, or rather, the teen that contained her lord's soul. "But I'd rather touch the real man. Madara," she purred his name, licking her lips.

"And that is why we are here," Naruto snapped. "To release me from this body and back into my own." He left her side, headed towards the sarcophagus. Guren sulked, hating to be forgotten. Naruto eyed her over his shoulder. "Don't be upset, darling. After the ritual, we will pick up right where we left off. In the meantime, he tore at his tunic, tossing the strip to the woman. "Put this on. As much as I love watching you move in the nude, it'll distract me from the ritual." She nodded, tying the cloth about her body into a makeshift dress. "Let's get started."

OOooOOooOO

Itachi stepped hastily inside the grand library of the Uchiha palace, thankful to get away from his overbearing parents. Their expectations of him never ended and got even more outrageous as the days went on. Couldn't they just leave him alone and let him rule as he saw fit?

"That eager to read, eh?" a voice called sarcastically from across the room.

"Shut up, Kisame," Itachi growled. "You're on staff for your brain, not your mouth."

Kisame chuckled. He was the only one who saw Itachi express any emotion, and it greatly amused him. He rose from the wooden desk he'd sat behind, carefully marking the page on the scroll he was reading, and bowed low to the Pharaoh. "What can I do for you?"

"Jackals," Itachi flat-lined.

"The scavengers?" Kisame raised a brow.

"Not exactly," Itachi leveled his gaze at the other man. Kisame was taller than he, his eyes white and piercing, his grayish blue hair styled into a side spike. The dark blue tunic he wore complimented his unusual skin tone quite well. The man had known Itachi since he was small, and was probably the closest to a friend that Itachi had ever had. Even so, he still had to choose his words carefully. Any mention of the word 'curse' and everyone became skittish. "I need you to research my family and see if they've ever had any influence or repertoire with the creature."

"Other than Anubis, you mean," Kisame raised a brow.

"Of course," Itachi muttered. "We all know he has ties to death and mummification. But I'm looking for something…else." he finished, lost in thought.

Kisame rubbed at his chin. "I'll see what I can do."

OOooOOooOO

"Madara, I have your canopic jars here," said Guren as she carefully withdrew four small jars from a crumbling chest. The falcon that had once stood atop it had been hacked off, while the intricate carvings along the sides and front were scratched beyond recognition. Naruto's eye twitched at the damage, but inside, he was relieved that the contents were still intact.

"Get them into position," Naruto ordered. Guren nodded, placing each of the jars facing outwards, one facing North, South, East, and West. Inside the makeshift circle was the sarcophagus, where Naruto currently sat, rolling the vial of Sasuke's blood along his knuckles idly, a smile crossing his face. Snatching it into his hand, he leapt from the coffin, headed towards the first jar. Picking it up, he removed the stopper, glancing inside. His liver certainly had seen better days. His eyes roaming to the other jars, he was pretty sure that his stomach, intestines, and lungs looked the same: dusty, fragile, and disheveled.

With a quiet 'pop' the vial of blood was opened, Naruto pouring a small amount of the crimson liquid onto the long dead organ. Returning the jar to position, he repeated the process at the other three jars, saving the last of the blood for the main event. Heading back towards the sarcophagus, Naruto peered inside at the body the lie within. It was wrapped in frayed linens, the skin dried out from various salts and natron. Then, he saw the chain links that had yet to decay. He faltered, remembering how it'd felt when they shoved him inside, pinning him down, while one of the priests had started in on the removal of his organs, cutting a long, thin line along his abdomen. It wasn't a quick death either. The priests had rather enjoyed watching him suffer, making it as slow and painful as possible. Though the worst was when they had 'de-manned' him, tossing his penis and testicles to the dogs. And they called _him_ the tyrant. Oh wait, he was, he smiled wryly.

The last step in the ritual was to take the remainder of the blood, smear it across his hands, then onto the chest of the mummy. Naruto did so, and within seconds, the dead heart that had remained inside began to beat once again. The organs in the four jars echoed it, each coming alive from the life-blood that had re-animated them. He looked longingly at the mummy, whose body was already beginning to appear more human, muscles and ligaments revitalizing themselves, filling in nicely over dried out bones. "Guren," Naruto called, "it's now time for my spirit to leave this child's body and enter into its rightful place." With that, he got down onto his hands and knees, directly in front of his own coffin. "Begin," he murmured, tensing for the pain that was about to come.

Guren began to chant softly, her words archaic. From the teeth marks along the back of Naruto's legs, a purple mist began to rise. The wounds grew red, specs of blood seeping through tanned calves, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air. Naruto grit his teeth, fisting his hands. It felt like needles piercing him, his legs itching to move. Sweat beaded across his brow, some sliding down his cheek, dripping onto the floor. "Quickly," he bit out. Guren went to work hurriedly, scribbling out a path from Naruto's body to that of the one inside the sarcophagus, using the blonde's own blood. Once that was done, the mist flared, a shape taking form within. Naruto screamed, it felt like his insides were being ripped from him. Out of the haze stepped a giant jackal. It had huge paws with sharp talons, jewels adorning its wrists, a narrow muzzle filled with wicked teeth, long erect ears stood atop its head, three earrings along the lower lobe of each, and its body was covered in sleek, black fur. Though it was nearly transparent, mist still wavering at the tips of its ears and tail, it was able to immediately identify the blood trail. It sniffed and followed it, right up to the mummy's body, where it deftly leapt inside the coffin. Spinning three times, it chuffed, then settled down atop the body, where it began to fade as it disappeared inside. The sarcophagus flared with a bright light, then fell into darkness.

Guren was about to step forward when a pale, strong hand appeared over the side, gripping the side of the coffin tightly. "Madara," she said in awe, getting down to her knees, bowing.

"Finally," Madara said, impatience flooding his deep timbre voice. He rose to a sitting position, Guren practically drooling at the man who wreaked sex appeal. His skin was pale, his body, lean, sculpted, and muscled. His back was broad, shoulders flexing as he rolled his muscles, stretching them out. Long ebony hair cascaded down his back, lengthy spikes shooting downward from the back of his head. Two thick, long, split bangs fell about either side of his face, his eyes onyx colored, flecked with crimson. He flicked the last of the dried out linens from this arm, then stared at his own body. "All this time," he said, "and I am still one sexy man."

"No doubt about that," Guren purred, her heart pumping wildly. It had been nearly five hundred years since she'd had sex with the god before her, and she couldn't wait to make up the time. He looked exactly as he had the day died he died, not one day over thirty.

Madara frowned, looking at his burial chamber. It was a disaster, everything ruined and gone. This was no place for a man of his vision and ambition. Frankly, he couldn't wait to get out of this long forgotten place and back into a position of power. He started to rise from his sarcophagus, when Naruto's moaning reminded him the teen was still there.

"Ngh.." Naruto began to stir, consciousness slowly returning to him. Blinking his eyes to clear away the haze, he looked up, only to lock eyes with Madara. "Who are you?" he asked anxiously. His mind was fuzzy, and his calves burned with pain. Hissing, he gripped them, startled to see remnants of blood, both wet and dry, along his fingers. Panic set in, but he reigned in those feelings, shifting his attention to the man before him.

"Well," Madara drawled, "I would think that family resemblance was quite obvious."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Uchiha?" The blonde scrambled backwards, only to hit his back against Guren's legs.

"Should he be your first human sacrifice, Madara?" she asked, a wicked grin crossing her lips.

"Hmm…I don't think so. Besides, I owe the kid. Bring him here." Madara said with a wave of his hand. Guren reached down, gripping Naruto by the upper arm, and dragging him to his feet. She shoved him forward. At this point, the blonde was getting rather tired of being pushed around. Glancing about, he was certain he'd been in this burial chamber before. Then, it hit him. The desecrated tomb, the stone jackals that had bit him, the mummy with the blazing eyes. It all happened here. But the mummy wasn't dead anymore. In fact, he seemed very much alive. With a final push, Naruto came face to face with the Uchiha.

"What do you want from me?" he tried to sound as if he wasn't afraid, but he was.

Madara chuckled. "I just wanted to thank you for the use of your body."

"My body?" Naruto's eyebrows furred. "Hey! The blackouts, my memory blanks, that was you?"

"More or less," Madara smiled casually. "I have to say, you were a good vessel for me. But nothing beats the original," he finished, gesturing at his own body. "However, I am not at full strength as of yet, and I can't have you running off to warn the other Uchihas." Naruto struggled to break out of Guren's grasp, but he was dizzy and nauseous from lack of blood. He looked up, dazed as Madara shifted into a large jackal, leaping gracefully from the sarcophagus, but landing unsteadily. He shook his head, earrings clinking against each other along the bottom of his giant ears. It'd been much too long since he'd done basic things like walk. His muscles were weakened from lack of use. He chuffed, flicking his tail. Naruto was shocked, never seeing anything like this before.

"Enjoy the memories," Guren said snidely, "They'll be the only thing to keep you company." With that, she shoved the blonde into the now empty sarcophagus.

"HEY!" said Naruto, voice laced with panic.

"Make yourself at home," she said smugly. She then reached over, pulling the heavy cover back onto the coffin. "Before you die too quickly, I'll let you enjoy your situation for awhile." She shifted the coffin lid a smidge, leaving room so air could circulate inside. "Oh! Keep in mind though, this is an underground tomb, and there is only so much air. Once that runs out…" she eyed him through the crack. "You get the idea. Bye!" she blew him a kiss, then left him there. Naruto pounded against the lid, tried shoving it, pushing it, anything to get the damn thing to move. But it was useless.

"How the hell did that lady move this thing in the first place?" Naruto wondered incredulously. "But more importantly," he sobered, "how am I going to get out of here?"

OOooOOooOO

"My lord?" Temari asked, getting slightly annoyed. Here Sasuke hovered over her, his body lean and pale in the moonlight, looking sexually edible, but all he'd done in the past half hour was stare off into nothing. He seemed very distracted, his focus on something other than her. But before that, every action that had gotten them both undressed and into bed had been hesitant. And here she'd gone through a lot of primping and planning for this moment, though it had all seemed wasted. Too bad, she shook her head, it was _his_ loss anyways. "My lord?" she asked again, louder this time. Sasuke blinked as if seeing the haughty woman beneath him for the first time. The raven sighed, his hand moving to cup her cheek, his thumb running gently against her lips.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered softly. That's all he could offer. He couldn't tell her that he was extremely nervous to do anything like this because he didn't know if he'd hurt her like he had with Sakura. Even now, he had no idea what had happened, everything still as confusing as it was then. He slid off Temari, taking a sheet with him to wrap about his waist, then went across the room to stare out the window. Running a hand through his hair, he sagged against the wall. Temari propped herself onto an elbow, staring at the man before her. She'd heard stories about him and couldn't wait to get her hands on him herself. Although they hadn't done anything official yet, she was rather enjoying the eye candy.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a shudder run down his spine. Something was calling to him, though why or how he knew that, he could only guess.

OOooOOooOO

The following evening, Sasuke found himself fully clothed, wearing a long black robe, his neck, wrists, and ankles adorned with gold bands. They accented his earrings quite well, and he looked every bit the prince he was supposed to be. Tonight, it was his off night, and honestly, Sasuke was looking forward to it. After the awkwardness and strangeness of last night, he needed time to think. Though in reality, what he was really looking forward to was seeing his personal slave again, Naruto. His stomach growled loudly, and he chuckled slightly at the memory of Naruto eating his royal food. Last time he may have eaten alone, but this time, he'd share his meal with the slave, maybe they could chat a little. The blonde's brashness was rather refreshing compared to the usual people who were nothing than 'yes' men and women, craving only his sexual prowess.

The door to his room opened, a blonde stepping through the threshold, though it was not the one that Sasuke expected. "Where is Naruto?" he asked coolly.

"He's…um…well," Ino fidgeted, trying to hide her nervousness. "I was hoping he was with you," she blurted out, eyes brimmed with concern. "But I can see that's not the case."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose. "He's missing?"

"I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. But since then…" Ino clasped her hands together. "Oh please, don't punish him!" she pleaded. "He's a good person, with a good heart."

"I believe you," Sasuke said softly, bringing the quivering girl into his embrace. Ino was startled at the kindness the prince was showing.

She continued, "He's my friend and I'm really worried about him." Shocked that she'd confessed something so trivial to the prince, she stepped back, gathering her robes. "I'm sorry I bothered you, my lord. I'm sure you're quite busy and there are other things that need your attention. I'll be going now."  
Sasuke wanted her to stay, he needed to know more about where the girl had seen Naruto last, but was cut off when Sai slipped into the room, looking extremely frazzled and nervous.

"My prince," Sai began apprehensively, "I'm afraid I cannot keep this a secret any longer." He paused, fiddling with his sash.

"Go on," Sasuke urged, curiosity peeked.

"Your tomb, something is very…wrong," Sai finished lamely.

"Wrong?" Sasuke asked skeptically.

"Perhaps cursed is more of a better word," Sai said flatly.

"You best be careful in saying such things," Sasuke replied in a steady tone.

"I apologize, of course," Sai said bowing, "But there is no other word for it."

"Explain yourself," Sasuke said coolly. But Ino could see the subtle wariness in his voice.

Sai plunged ahead. "There are creatures on the walls inside that are inhuman, they act and move as if alive, blood flows from their eyes, magic weaves its way through your burial chamber, fire burning without fuel. Voices drift through the corridors, their origin unknown. And now, giant beasts have been sighted, roaming throughout the pyramid, leaving death in their wake."

This was all news to Sasuke. He didn't even know his parents had even bothered to have a pyramid erected for him in the first place. Not sure if he should be flattered they did, he was gravely concerned that his curse was not only limited to himself physically.

"There is one more thing," Sai added apprehensively. "I've gotten word that Naruto had been seen going inside and has yet to come out."

"What?" Sasuke and Ino said in unison.

"I'd send people to investigate, but no one is willing to go inside. They are all afraid," said Sai.

"We have to help Naruto!" Ino said anxiously. "He could be hurt or maybe even…"

"No, he's not dead. Naruto is too stubborn for that," Sasuke said matter-of-factly. Turning to Sai he said, "I assume you know the way to my pyramid."

"Yes, I do, but even I won't go inside it," Sai shuddered, thinking of what happened last time.

"You won't have to." Sasuke said coolly. "I'll be the one going in."

Sai offered a humorless laugh, "And how, pray tell, do you plan on doing that? You can't even leave this room." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Watch and see," Sasuke countered, a plan taking shape in his mind.

OOooOOooOO

END CHAPTER 5

Enjoy and thanks for reading. Please leave a comment!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

Chapter 6 – The Capture

OOooOOooOO

Sasuke had wanted to leave his prison of a room the moment he got back from the 'house.' Easier said than done. His room was guarded constantly with the locks engaged at all times. The only window he had was much too small to crawl out of. The only way out was through the front door. Taking a deep breath, he said evenly, "Sai, you're going to take me to my pyramid."

Sai paled. "My lord, please don't make me go back there."

"You must obey me," Sasuke snapped. Sobering, he added, "I promise to make it worth your while."

"My apologies, but I prefer women," Sai returned flatly.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Why did everyone think that everything he did or said was sexual in nature? "No, Sai. I meant that if you take me to my pyramid, once I return with Naruto, I will see that your wages are increased, five-fold."

"Ten,' Sai said curtly.

Sasuke's brow rose. "Bold, aren't you?"

"You have no idea what's back there."

"Done." Sasuke nodded stiffly. He hated to be bested, but he only had so much time. A smile fixed itself on Sai's face.

Turning to Ino, Sasuke said, "You will stay here, posing as me."

"What?" Ino was shocked. "That's impossible! First off, I'm a woman." Sasuke shushed her with a finger to her lips.

"Listen to me. It will only be for during the day. I usually sleep then, so no one will bother you." Ino was hesitant, eyes cast downward. "Look around you. Have you ever had such luxury in all your life?" Sasuke said softly. "Here I am, offering you the chance to live as a princess. And when I come back, you can pursue such things as a free woman."

"Free?" Ino gasped.

"Yes. If you do this for me," Sasuke continued, his fingers deftly putting a strand of Ino's long blond hair behind her ear. She melted at the prince's touch. Even such a small gesture was enough to make her heart skip a beat, a heavy blush crossing her cheeks. "Perhaps a little more persuasion is needed," Sasuke mused, his pale lips slanting across her soft pink ones. Pressing their lips together, Sasuke's tongue sought entrance into her mouth. She obeyed, lips parting slightly, the kiss deepening. Hands went up and around Sasuke's neck, Ino bringing him closer. Sparks filled her from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. One of the raven's hands went down to cup her buttocks while the other went for her right breast. He kneaded it through the silken robes she wore. After a few moments, he pulled away and said quietly, "Is it a deal?"

"Yes, my lord," Ino replied breathlessly, trying in vain to calm her rapid breaths while fanning herself to keep from fainting. "I will be your decoy."

"Thank you," he said. His expression hardened. "I suppose there is one advantage to never leaving this room. No one has seen me."

"What about your concubines?" Sai countered. "I'm sure they can recognize you in a second. Unless you sexed them up so well that they don't know the difference between up and down."

"Watch yourself," Sasuke growled. "Just get me to my pyramid." To Ino, he said, "I need your robes." She cocked a brow at him. "The guard saw someone wearing them when they came in, so he'll expect to see someone wearing them when they come out."

"You can't be serious?" Sai said exasperated. "You expect to pose as a woman?"

"I know a thing or two about them," Sasuke drawled in return, heading towards his bed and selecting two circular plush pillows. He held them up to his chest. "These will do."

OOooOOooOO

About twenty minutes later, the door to Sasuke's room opened. Sai came out first, followed by Sasuke, who looked nothing like himself. The purple robes that Ino had on were now draped about his body, kohl darkened his eyes, his hair and face hidden behind a silken scarf. The sandals she wore were smaller than he normally wore, but he'd discard them as soon as they made it outside.

"The prince is extremely tired and demands that no one disturb him until nightfall," Sai said to the guard, who merely grunted in acknowledgement. "Come along, slave." The raven glowered at Sai, but said nothing, following silently past the guard. All seemed well, until the guard reached out, groping him on the ass.

"Hey baby, once you're done with the prince, I can show you a _real_ good time," the guard said lecherously.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Maybe some other time," he bit out, altering his voice to a higher pitch. He shrugged out of the man's grip, pace quickening after Sai.

OOooOOooOO

After dodging various guards and family, Sasuke and Sai soon found themselves outside, the sun already on the horizon.

Sasuke quickly discarded his too-small sandals, feet coming to rest on the soft sands. "I'll stay dressed this way until we get to the edge of the city. After that, I will change into clothes better suited to running around a pyramid."

Sai snorted. "What do you know of pyramids?"

"I know more than people give me credit for. Now let's get moving."

OOooOOooOO

While Kisame was busily researching the Uchiha's past, Itachi was restlessly pacing the palace's corridors. Ever since he'd seen that jackal inside of Naruto, it'd left him uneasy. What was it? Why was it inside of Naruto? And how did it sense him in the first place? Sure enough, the jackal had seen him, spoken to him, saying "Soon enough." But soon enough for what? Itachi rubbed his chin in thought and frowned. None of it made any sense. He thought he'd discuss it with Sasuke; maybe he'd have some insight. Hopefully, he wasn't feeling horny. Itachi did think his brother was sexy, all Uchihas were, but he wasn't the one for Sasuke. He wasn't a tool either for when his brother was 'in the mood.' Shaking his head, he decided he'd go visit Sasuke anyways, after all, he hadn't seen his baby brother in awhile.

As he passed by his throne room, he knew that someone was already inside. His eye twitched in annoyance for no one was to enter his domain without his permission. Shoving the door open, he stormed in, ready to issue orders and have his guards take the intruder away. Too bad the guards were already dead, lying in their own blood.

"Like my work?" an amused voice said. Itachi looked up, his eyes narrowing. Upon _his_ throne sat a man, idly plucking feathers out of_ his_ now dead, pet raven. The man wore upon his head, a hat shaped like a jackal, long tresses cascading down from the sides, ending in golden tips. Around his neck was a golden collar that matched the ones he wore on his upper arms and wrists. His chest was bare, the only strip of clothing he wore was a black cloth draped about his hips, leaving little to the imagination. "Feel free to look, I'm not shy," the man smiled, shifting to show off his 'goods.' "No?" Madara feigned a hurt look. "And here I went through all the trouble of bringing you an offering and everything." He smirked, tossing the naked raven at Itachi's feet.

"Get off my throne," Itachi flat-lined.

"_Your_ throne?" the man raised an eyebrow. Itachi had had enough of this foolishness. His crimson flecked gaze glowed, his powers preparing to enter this stranger's mind. As the tomoe in his eyes started to spin, he was met with a similar gaze. Any attempts at reading his opponent's mind had been blocked by a power equal, if not greater, than his own.

"Feisty, I like that," the man laughed softly.

"Who are you?" Itachi deadpanned.

"Madara is my name. But you can call me Pharaoh."

"You are either extremely brave or incredibly stupid for daring to say such a thing," Itachi said coldly.

"Well, enough about me, where is your little brother?"

Itachi was startled by the swift change in topic. "Sasuke? What do you want with him? Madara just smiled coldly and said nothing.

Itachi clenched his fists. This man was a cocky son of a bitch and it was starting to piss him off. He glanced down at the bodies, hoping to clear his mind, but he was stunned to see that the guards seemed to have been eaten, their bodies sliced up, filled with bite marks. His attention was so focused on figuring out this riddle, he didn't even sense Madara come up behind him, his hot breath along his ear. "I bet you'll like being dominated. It's probably going to be refreshing after all the pussies you rule over."

"Get away from me," Itachi slunk out of Madara's grasp, going for the dagger he carried at his waist. He spun, the blade leveling at the opposite man's throat.

"Come on now," Madara shrugged. "I was only being honest."

"Fuck you," Itachi snarled back, taking a slice at Madara. The older man dodged, but the blade still managed to slice his lip. "You going to fight me or are you just talk?"

"I like the ones that fight," Madara said, licking the blood from his lips. Itachi gripped his dagger tighter, crimson liquid dripping from the tip.

Madara was fast, sliding behind Itachi, and then landing a punch into the younger Uchiha's back. Itachi was sent flying forward, but crouched into a somersault to help roll out of the attack. He skidded to a halt, and then looked around. Where'd he go? "Miss me?" Madara mocked, sending Itachi flying again after a swift kick to his gut. Itachi gasped as he slammed against the wall with such force the wind was nearly knocked out of him. What kind of power did this guy possess? Madara walked up to Itachi, who feigned he was unconscious. Once the elder Uchiha was close enough, Itachi swung his dagger, digging it into Madara's leg. He howled with rage. Howled….like a jackal?

Madara then gripped Itachi's hair, causing his scalp to prickle with pain, twisting it around his hand. Itachi fisted his free hand, then sent it slamming into Madara's stomach; the rings on his fingers cutting the flesh on Madara's abs, causing shallow, but painful cuts. He then set a foot out, hoping to land a kick in his opponent's groin, being that it was barely protected. Madara saw what Itachi was doing, releasing his hair and bounding out of the way, disappearing into the shadows. Surprising agile for an old guy, Itachi though wryly.

"It was you," Itachi panted, slowly getting to his feet. "You were inside that slave boy."

"Your cleverness is to be expected. But yes, you are correct." Madara said, voice echoing throughout the chamber. "He was useful to me. As will you be." Itachi's eyes warily searched the room. He didn't know where Madara was and the acoustics of the room were not helping at all. He held onto his dagger with a death grip, eyes constantly on the move. The throne room was filled with statues and pillars, the torches casting shadows to loom and distort everywhere.

"Come out and fight me, you bastard." Itachi challenged. Suddenly, things were quiet, too quiet. Through the shadows, he saw a blur dash by. Even squinting he couldn't tell what it was. There it was again, behind him. And again, to his right. His left. Whatever it was, the thing could move. Itachi tried to follow its movements, but it was too fast. Silence reigned again, but was broken when something launched itself onto Itachi's back, pinning him to the ground. The thing was panting, saliva dripping from its month onto Itachi's neck. What the hell? Gah! Was that the thing's boner pushing against his ass? Itachi scrambled to get away, turning and shifting to free his dagger hand. Narrowing his eyes, and with a final twist, the elder Uchiha managed to get a slice into the creature. He plunged the dagger deep into its forearm, the thing wailing in pain, staggering off of him. It limped back into the shadows, allowing Itachi a slight reprieve. This was crazy; he had to get out of the throne room and fast.

Silently and cautiously, Itachi rose to his feet and padded across the room, the doors only a few feet away. But that's when the thing hit him again, his head plowing into the door, knocking him unconscious, the dagger spinning from his hand. The last thing he heard was a haughty chuff, which almost sounded like a laugh.

OOooOOooOO

Guren continued on in her task to overtake the army. She was on the lookout for the captain, Neji, and was ordered to do some 'persuading' to get him to come over to their side. A task she'd done many times before, with total focus. But now, she found herself worried about Madara. Hearing him howl in the fight against Itachi made her want to shift and enter the fight. But he'd be pissed if she offered any help. "Men," she muttered.

OOooOOooOO

"Alright Sai," Sasuke said, shedding Ino's robes, replacing them with a simple white tunic. "This is where we part ways."

"Indeed." Sai replied, thankful that he didn't have to go inside the pyramid.

Sasuke nodded, too busy staring at his pyramid. _His _pyramid. It looked impressive enough, even though it wasn't quite finished.

"Good luck prince." Sai turned and quickly headed back the way they'd come. Looking over his shoulder he saw Sasuke take a deep breath, grab a torch, then head inside. "Don't die," the artisan added under his breath. After all, a dead prince couldn't increase his wages.

OOooOOooOO

What the hell did he think he was doing? Sasuke scowled sometime later. Parading around inside a pyramid he was unfamiliar with. Looking for someone he'd just met and barely knew. Why was he doing all this anyway? "Naruto!" he called out. "Naruto! Naruto!" Sighing, he berated himself for not planning ahead. For instance, he should be marking the walls or something to help him find his way back. Too late for that now though. The raven's mind began to wander as he continued down the passageways. Being inside his own pyramid was both intriguing and surreal. After all, the owner was usually dead when they went this far down. He frowned, weaving deeper and deeper inside the massive structure, the air getting colder and mustier. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Then he heard something shift and rocks crumble. "Naruto?" Sasuke surged ahead only to be stopped short at an open door that sagged against its hinges. The door groaned as it swayed slightly back and forth. "Hn." Sasuke could smell a faint trace of poison that still hung in the air. Glancing beyond the door, he could barely make out other traps that had been sprung. Thankfully, he didn't see a dead body lying in any of them. Warily, he stepped inside, torch held high as he skirted around the traps. Cobwebs hung low from the ceilings, bugs crawled along the walls, while at his feet, rats and mice scurried over his bare toes. They seemed no longer afraid after the traps had gone off. Sasuke hissed at them, shaking them off as he moved forward.

This hallway proved to be narrower than the others and much older. Cracks ran alongside every wall, rocks lie all over the floor from shifts in the ground. Sasuke had to duck while flattening himself against the wall in order to press on. Sasuke had to admit, if Naruto went through here, he was incredibly nimble and agile. He idly wondered if the blonde was just as nimble in bed. "Stop that," he scolded himself. Just as he was squeezing through the tightest of places, he stumbled out into a grand, empty room. "Naruto?" Still nothing. Sasuke scratched at the back of his head. Someone had to have come this way and recently too. He looked around the room, noticing scratched up hieroglyphics, and paw prints? What the hell was a dog or whatever doing down here? Sasuke bent down, his fingers ghosting over the paw print. This was no ordinary sized animal. In fact, judging from the tracks, there seemed to be two of them. They both led down another corridor, one that was dark and hidden behind a fallen column. "Hmm…" Sasuke inched closer.

It was then he heard rats scrambling in a nearby room. They seemed to be fighting over something, their squeaks and hisses growing louder. He turned away from the hidden passage, choosing instead to follow the rats. Their squabbles were getting annoying and awfully loud. As he passed by the hieroglyphics, he was able to catch a few words and phrases, nothing really significant. Wait a minute. Sasuke frowned. Did his parents build _his_ tomb over someone else's? Hell, it'd be just like them to do that, saving their money for Itachi. Pushing that thought aside, he went back to following the rats and soon found himself inside a burial chamber. While surveying the room, he felt a rat race across his foot, a piece of tanned flesh hanging from its grisly muzzle, its claws covered in blood. "Naruto?" he said again, a small trace of panic lacing his voice. The room was full of debris, sand, rocks, and blood. So where…shit! The sarcophagus! After placing his torch inside a holder off to his left, Sasuke ran over, his hands running along all sides of the stone coffin in hopes of finding a crack or hand hold he could grip or pry at. The only thing he did find was an air hole, further confirming his suspicions that someone was in there. Otherwise, the thing would be sealed tight to slow down decomposition of the body. He tried to get his fingers into the hole, attempting to pry the stone lose. All that managed to do was make his fingers bleed. Okay, he could try to apply leverage and pop it off that way. But he tossed that idea away seeing as the only thing he could use was rotted wood which practically fell apart in his hands. He sat back against the coffin, hating what his only option was.

After taking a deep breath, he went to get down on all fours, facing away from the sarcophagus. Focusing on his curse, knowing that it hovered closer to the surface each time it appeared, he called it forth. He grunted, the skin along his back and shoulders rippling, muscles shifting. Black marks spread across his body like wildfire, his eyes flashing red. With a sickening tear of flesh and the splat of blood against the coffin and floor, two large hand shaped wings broke free from the limits of Sasuke's flesh. The fingers were long, topped with razor sharp talons. They flexed, the webbing between the digits drying out, containing more sharp points within it. Sasuke bared the pain, using his own hands as controls for his wings. It was difficult though, seeing as how his wings were flipped, but he managed, finally getting them to lift the cover from the coffin, letting it clatter to the floor where it shattered. Sasuke staggered to his feet, the weight of his wings nearly toppling him backwards, his body panting from the strain. He pushed it aside, rushing to look inside the coffin. "Naruto?"

Sure enough, the blond had been trapped inside. For how long, he didn't know, but Naruto was looking dangerously pale, his breathing shallow and raspy. Thankfully, he'd survived, but barely. Sasuke reached in, carefully placing his arms under Naruto's armpits, and lifted the teen from his prison. The blond only moaned, eyes fluttering, but not opening. He carried, half dragged Naruto over to the entrance of the room, and lay his body out below the torch. There was no way that he could carry Naruto back out the same way he'd come. Even in his demonic state, he couldn't even fit through half the corridors, his wings probably setting off a cave-in. He had no choice, he had to have Naruto regain consciousness, and soon.

Seeing Naruto lying there made Sasuke yawn. What a trip this has been, and frankly, he was exhausted. Rubbing his eyes, he casually dropped a hand to cup Naruto's cheek, slide around his adam's apple, then head down towards his throat. He could feel the life beat of Naruto, weak but stable. Pulling his fingers away, he was startled to find they were sprinkled with blood. Deftly, he pushed the blonde's unruly spikes aside, seeing where the rat had gotten his dinner. Ripping a strip from the tattered linen that hung from his back, he balled it up, gently applying pressure to Naruto's bleeding ear. Soon, the wound clotted, but the blond began shivering. Sasuke didn't have a blanket to provide warmth, so he did what came natural. He lay down next to the blond, gathering Naruto into his arms and against his chest. Always with the change, his body heat rose, his heart pumping nearly twice as fast. Naruto enjoyed the warmth, the strain from his face smoothing off, his breathing becoming more even. Sasuke watched as Naruto slept off the nightmare, although it was not to be an easy sleep. Hoping to relax his slave, Sasuke leaned in, lips meeting lips as he drank in his slave. Making sure his demon wings didn't touch Naruto, he curled them behind his body, while Sasuke too, then drifted off to sleep.

OOooOOooOO

Fugaku sat angrily inside his room, drumming his fingers. First, Sasuke had yet to impregnate a girl, secondly, Neji had gone missing, and now, Itachi was late to a meeting with him, all of which made him look like a fool.

"If it really bothers you, take one issue at a time and go resolve them," Mikoto said mildly as she continued counting gold. Fugaku muttered in agreement, choosing to tackle the Sasuke issue first. He rose from his chair, exiting the room in a huff. He was irritated and normally looked to his wife for release. At least in the bedroom. But lately, Mikoto was like an ice queen in bed these days, never one for sexual play or intercourse. Now Sasuke, he'd been trained to entertain. As Fugaku walked towards his youngest son's bedroom, lecherous thoughts formed in his mind.

As he approached the door, he found the set guard lying dead, throat ripped out. His eye twitched; now he had to hire someone else, again, to keep watch. Kicking aside the dead man, he withdrew his own keys, reaching to unlock the door, realizing the lock had been torn completely off. He heard a woman scream from inside. Thinking Sasuke had let his curse take control again, Fugaku kicked the door open and stormed inside. "Dammit boy, I told you that if you pulled that crap again I'd…" he stopped abruptly, his face paling at the sight that greeted him.

"You were saying," Madara drawled from atop Sasuke's bed. He didn't seem bothered by the intrusion as he continued to pump on Itachi's cock with one hand while the other fondled himself. As for the rest of Itachi, he laid naked, spread eagle next to the older man. He was gagged, wrists and ankles bound by leather. Madara, meanwhile, was still clothed, though barely, his hard-on pressing into his linens quite obviously. Fugaku could only stare.

"How dare you," Fugaku fumed. "Disrespecting my son like that!"

"Oh, and here I thought you were just thinking the same thing, but with the younger," Madara smirked. Fugaku's cheeks reddened. Itachi was surprised, then sickened. "Before I get into my work," Madara stared lustfully at Itachi, "I want you to tell me where Sasuke is. You see, I followed his scent here, but all I found was that pitiful girl." He gestured to the far side of the room, Fugaku's eyes following. There in a tangled heap, lie Ino, battered, bruised, broken, and dead. Fugaku remained motionless at the death.

"Eh…enough about her. Now where he is?" Madara accented each word with a twist of Itachi's left nipple.

"Sasuke? What would you want him for?" Fugaku replied coolly. Inside, he was seething. That was a good question. Where was his youngest?

"Hmm…I see you've lost sight of him too. Oh well. He's bound to come back sometime. In the meantime, I'll just play with my new toy."

"Leave him alone," Fugaku cut in, voice cracking.

"Why? And what are you going to do if I don't," Madara challenged. "Ooo..how about we make Itachi the prize. If I win, I get to have my way with him. If you win, you can have your way with him."

"You bastard!"

"I've been called many names, is that the best you can do?" With that he leapt from the bed, crouching to all fours, his body shifting to that of a jackal.

Teeth snapped as Fugaku danced backwards. "What kind of monster are you?" Fugaku said in disbelief, dodging as claws went flying inches past his stomach. Madara growled in reply, a sound almost like a smirk. Fugaku went towards the jackal, hands fisted, landing a good punch on its head. Madara let out a furious howl. Shaking it off, his fur brisling, he charged Fugaku, tackling the big man to the ground. They fought and tumbled along the floor, sending statues to the ground, shattering furniture. But Fugaku never stood a chance.

Madara had shifted back to his human form once again, his face covered with blood from the wound on his head, his arms leaking blood as well. Shaking it off, he strutted back towards Itachi, naked as the younger man. He leaned back down on the bed, astride of Itachi. "Now, where were we? He stroked his hand through Itachi's long black locks, nailing growing long and sharp. "Ah yes, your purpose. But first…" Itachi's eyes widened. For the first time in his life, he felt true fear.

OOooOOooOO

END CHAPTER 6 – Please review and comment! More to come soon!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

Chapter 7 - Untitled

OOooOOooOO

Naruto began to stir; surprised he'd even fallen asleep in the first place. He couldn't remember how long he'd been banging and yelling for help after being trapped inside that sarcophagus. Shifting his body, the blonde had been expecting to meet the same cramped, cold, stony walls of the coffin. Instead, he was surrounded by warmth and soft flesh. His eyes popped open, the dim light from a torch backlighting the linen clad chest he was held against. Azure blue eyes watched as it rose and fell rhythmically in tune with the soft breaths that played with his blonde hair.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked softly. Instantly recognizing it, Naruto scrambled out of the prince's grasp. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he glowered at Sasuke.

"You Uchihas are insane."

"Hn. That's a strange way to thank someone for saving your life." Sasuke placed a hand on his hip.

"You? You saved me?" Naruto asked incredulously. Sasuke nodded then rose to his feet. Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Why? And how?" he added, knowing the lid was made of stone and impossible for any one man to lift.

"What were you doing down here?" Sasuke asked abruptly, reaching for the torch.

Naruto scowled. Fine. He'd go first. Taking a deep breath, the blonde began, "Madara. Does that name mean anything to you?" Sasuke was thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "Okay, well, here goes. And promise not to call me crazy," Naruto added in a huff.

"Sure, dobe." Sasuke replied. But he listened attentively as Naruto's explained all that happened to him and how he ended up inside the tomb.

OOooOOooOO

"Looks like we're going to have to stay clear of this Madara guy until we get a better understanding of what we're up against," said Sasuke. "Once we learn more, we can plan a strategy to counter him." Naruto just stared at Sasuke, eyes wide. "What?"

"The walls," Naruto began, swallowing a lump in his throat. He couldn't say more, just started pointing with his finger. Sasuke spun, anxiousness overcoming him. The walls were not only cracking but they were shaking too.

"Come on," Sasuke dashed with Naruto in tow back to the entrance of the narrow corridor he'd come through earlier. About to head inside, the prince pulled up short as large rocks rained down, completely sealing off the entrance. Sasuke looked around frantically for another way out, Naruto shaking with terror, clinging to his arm with a white knuckled grip. "Think," Sasuke tried to calm himself. "Think!" That's when it hit him. Double backing the way they'd came, Sasuke half pulled, half dragged Naruto with him back to the hidden cavern behind the fallen pillar. "Get in!" Naruto didn't have to be told twice, he bolted inside, diving out of the fallen debris. Sasuke dove in next, knocking into the blonde. The two rolled down the corridor, coming to rest in a tangled heap of limps. With a noise like thunder, they both looked back to see the light of the burial chamber now filled with darkness.

Trapped in the dark again, Naruto panicked. He felt the raven move away from him. The torch Sasuke held flared to life. "That's amazing, my prince!" Naruto saw the remains of a fire stick lying at Sasuke's feet.

"Sasuke." Naruto blinked. "Call me Sasuke."

"Um..okay, Sasuke," Naruto replied hesitantly.

"Look, we can't stay here. There could be aftershocks." Sasuke went to move, but Naruto was rooted to the ground.

"Is this some kind of animal's home?" Naruto was wary of the giant paw prints that led down the tunnel.

"Whatever they belong to, they are long gone now. Anyways, we have enough to worry about at the moment." The two began their trip down the mysterious corridor, Sasuke in the lead, Naruto following closely behind. As they walked, the blonde took note of the images that flashed by.

"These pictures remind me of the ones in your room," said Naruto, a blush covering his cheeks.

"Indeed," Sasuke agreed. He too found himself staring at the sexual content that flowed across the walls. The positions and anatomy had started off normally enough but were escalating to obscene proportions, though always with the same man with long, black hair in the dominating position.

"That's him!" Naruto exclaimed. "Madara." Sasuke was startled. He did look like an Uchiha. But what intrigued him was how Madara's hair looked much like his when he tapped into his demon side. Reaching a hand up to touch one of the intricate pictures, he ran his fingers along the cool surface. Something sparked though him as his digits made contact with Madara. Quickly, he drew his hand back, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine," Sasuke replied briskly. But the blonde saw the uneasy look that crossed Sasuke's eyes briefly. The prince shrugged past Naruto, hurriedly moving ahead.

"Wait for me, teme!" Naruto shouted, catching up. "Hey. How come these pictures aren't all scratched up like the ones back in the burial chamber?"

"Seems like whoever was erasing Madara from the Uchiha dynasty missed a few things. Then again, this is a secret passageway, probably one that only he knew about. Along with his most trusted ladies, men, and animals?" Sasuke was repulsed. Yup, there were pictures of Madara over animals.

"Wait a minute? Erasing? He must've done something really bad to have that happen to him."

"Hmm…" Sasuke frowned. "These pictures and symbols have to be nearly five hundred years old. That's about the time the Uchiha dynasty was founded."

"Are you telling me that this Madara guy is the source of all you Uchiha?" Naruto was shocked. "Not exactly the regal type, was he?"

"No, he wasn't," Sasuke scowled.

"Oi! Sasuke, check out these rooms," Naruto broke into the prince's thoughts. Sasuke walked over, shining his torch inside one of the small rooms. It was empty, though more suggestive pictures covered the walls. "Are these private sex rooms?"

Sasuke could only stare, thoughts of how he and Madara seemed to be alike in some ways. The rooms that lined this corridor were a lot like the rooms of a brothel. Had Madara been raised in one as well? Konan and Pein were civil enough to him, making sure he was educated, both in mind and body. He didn't even consider life in a brothel to be bad. So what had gone wrong for Madara? After a long pause, he said, "Yeah. These would be his sex rooms. People with power could do whatever they wanted, and apparently, he wanted sex. A lot."

"Are all you Uchihas so lively when it comes to this type of thing," Naruto drawled.

"Sex isn't always dirty like this," Sasuke replied heatedly. "It's about...," he hesitated, "…love."

Naruto nearly broke out laughing. "Are you kidding me? Since when do people have sex for the sake of love? It's lust that drives people. You should know, you're doing it all the time," he drawled.

"Forget it," Sasuke snapped. He stomped down the corridor, Naruto running to catch up again. The two continued in awkward silence until before them was a literal 'light at the end of the tunnel.' Sure enough, the sun's rays were shining through a door, the sight so welcoming the blonde couldn't stop himself from running past Sasuke, towards a breath of fresh air.

"No! Naruto!" Sasuke yelled. The blonde was nearing the doorway; he could feel the warm sun on his face and skin. It felt amazing! Wanting to get more of the heat to chase away the cold, he dove into the light. And that's when he realized there was nothing below his feet.

"What the?" Naruto was scared shitless as he looked down the pyramid, seeing the ground far, far below. Windmilling his arms to keep from going over the edge, he felt himself being pulled backwards as Sasuke latched onto his tunic from behind. The prince fell onto the ground, hitting the cold surface with his back. Naruto fell atop of him, the blonde's ass right in line with Sasuke's cock. Naturally, it began to rise, twitching at the close contact of the heated body. His face flushed. This was not the time for this. He started to squirm to get out from underneath the blonde when the ground began to crack.

"Don't move," Sasuke warned. But it was too late. The cracks grew longer and deeper, the floor caving in, both teens falling into a large pit. They hit the floor hard with a heavy thud.

Naruto was the first to his feet, grabbing the torch that lay to the side. Incredibly, it still burned. Sasuke was rising to his elbows, shaking off the dirt, when he was greeted with the flame. "Don't think I don't know what you were trying to do up there!" he growled, a blush across his cheeks.

"Naruto...I…" Sasuke couldn't lie. Those types of reactions were embedded into his brain, he couldn't help himself.

"You Uchihas are all alike!" Naruto bit out. He turned away.

The prince sighed, resigning himself to think of how to get back up to the upper level. The exit was there, but it was too high and too steep. Now that he thought about it, he thought the pyramid's path was sloping upwards, but he couldn't believe they'd ascended this high. It didn't make sense. Perhaps it was some sort of trap or illusion? The two teens were silent for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. Sasuke was worried about Ino. Here it was, another day. Was she discovered last night? If so, what would his father do to her? What would his father do to him when he got back? He shivered. Pissing off his dad was a very bad idea.

Naruto leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I wish I could fly. Then I could get away from all of this."

Fly? Sasuke bolted up. "I have a plan. But we have to wait until nightfall."

"Why?" Naruto protested.

"You've held on for this long. A few more hours won't hurt." Naruto glared at Sasuke, his mouth set into a grim line.

"Fine," he huffed. "Whatever." Crossing his arms, he glanced at the wall across from him. Sasuke let out a sigh. He didn't want to show Naruto, or anyone else who was near the pyramid, his curse, especially in the daylight. By nightfall, he could easily blend into the shadows and use them for cover.

"Look at this," Naruto said, sliding over to the far wall. Expecting to see more suggestive images, Sasuke was startled to see hastily scribbled hieroglyphics etched into the wall. "What's it say?" he asked curiously, his anger melting away quickly.

"Hang on, there's a lot here," Sasuke said, his fingers following along the symbols. "Whoever wrote this, their handwriting is barely considered passable."

"At least you can read it, even if the penmanship sucks," Naruto sulked.

Sasuke glanced at the blonde. "You can't read?"

"No, my father was going to teach me, but that was before he was killed by Neji and his guards," Naruto returned bitterly. Sasuke was appalled. It was not Neji's job to go around killing Uchiha subjects. But that was an issue for another time. Clearing his throat, he began to read.

_I sit here, awaiting my execution. Tomorrow is my birthday, having seen thirty cycles come and go. Ironic as I now find myself imprisoned in the very pyramid I had constructed. Too bad I'd never see how it'll look finished. _"Madara…" Sasuke was in awe. "This is his writing."

"You mean _he_ was in this very room?" Naruto shuddered.

"Yeah, and it seems like this wall become his journal." Sasuke looked around. Rocks had sealed any passageways leading from the cell, though he assumed it lead somewhere back the way he and Naruto had come. "Let's see what he has to say." Naruto gulped nervously, huddling close to Sasuke. He didn't like ghost stories and he didn't like ones about evil tyrants either. Personally, Sasuke liked having Naruto close. "Do you want me to hold your hand?" he mused.

"No!" Naruto huffed. But just as quickly, he slid his hand into Sasuke's, their fingers entwining. The prince gave a reassuring squeeze and continued.

_For almost fifteen years, I ruled this land through blood, fear, war, sex, and power. After all, that's what I knew. Before I turned eight, I'd lived in the palace, my existence kept secret in lue that my younger brother would assume the throne. My mother feared I'd fight my brother for my birthright, so she got rid of me, selling me into slavery in Egypt's red-light district. She shoved me into one the slums most popular brothels, an old woman with a stern face looking down at me. Nodding, the woman gave my mother a scroll to sign and passed her a bag of gold. I didn't get to see her leave to return to her life as the Egyptian queen because I was dragged by the old woman into the back where I was to live my new life. I was given a large white shapeless tunic to wear, a gold band fastened around my neck with a tag hanging from it. There were others in the brothel, but they were older, so naturally, I became the target. They tormented me from day one, ridiculing me, hitting me, and forcing both themselves and the livestock onto me. They threatened to kill me if I told the old woman what they were doing, so I kept quiet. Humiliation and bitterness became my closest friends._

_Through the hard work the old woman put me through; my body began to develop into one that people wanted. And so, three years later, I officially became a male whore. People of all statuses rented me for the evening. Most were just as cruel as the other children, and some were worse. But what could I do? I had nothing, was nothing. Thrown to the dirt like a piece of garbage. Hate started to eat away at me, my mood becoming sour. When I went to work, I found myself thinking of the life I could have. One where I was at the top and everyone else was below me._

_Two years later, on my thirteenth birthday, I was exhausted after a long night of work. Coming back into my room, I was attacked by the other children. They grabbed me, forced me into a chair while the leader pulled out a razor. He smiled devilishly at me, and then proceeded to cut the long ebony locks from my head. I cried, pleaded for him to stop, but he kept at it. I knew why they were doing it. I'd become the most sought after whore and they'd all become jealous of me. Figuring they'd knock me down a few pegs, they'd taken something of mine that I truly cherished. When it was all done, they left me there, my hair scattered about my feet. Tears went down my cheeks. That was the first and the last time I ever cried. _

_The next day, everyone was still asleep when I awoke. With the same razor he used on me, I returned the favor to the boy, choosing to slice his neck instead, killing him instantly. Blood spilled, coloring his sheets red. I stared, fascinated. After that, I slipped through the rest of the brothel, killing each of the boys that had played a part in the shaving of my head and my torments of the past years. Blood covered my hands, my eyes were wild, and I was thirsty for more. I left afterwards, sneaking through the alleys as I made my way out towards the desert. Trying to be as silent as possible, the tag that dangled from my neck clanged with every movement, signaling my status as a slave. I hated it with a passion, but I kept it, as a reminder that I'd never go back, only forward, to what was rightfully mine._

_Two years later I returned to the palace. The night was dark, clouds blocking out the moon. I silently slunk across the sands until I found the escape tunnel. Slipping inside, I thought it ironic that I was going the opposite way the tunnel was intended. Only members of the royal family knew of its existence. The builders were put to death after construction. It was built in case of attack, allowing the royals to flee. They'd be no fleeing tonight. I soon popped my head up underneath an old table after removing the faux stone slab. I heaved myself out of the hole, opened the door of the pantry, then made my way along the palace's corridors. Looking around, things hadn't changed much in my seven year absence._

_I felt like a lion stalking its prey. My heart beat rapidly, not in fear, but anticipation of what I was about to do. I was ready, especially after the training I'd received by some of Egypt's toughest of the underground. Seeing my mom's room, I readied my dagger. Pushing the door open slowly, I really wasn't all that surprised to see my mother fucking some stranger. Upon closer observation, I saw another man with the original two, all three panting in ecstasy. And they called me the whore. "Hello mother," I said flatly. She bolted up, the two men showing confused looks on their faces. _

"_Who is that?" one asked._

"No one," my mother answered coldly. 

"_That's no way to treat your son," I replied coolly. _

"_I have only one son," she spat. _

_My eye twitched. She was still the same cold bitch she was before. No chance for redemption. I brought my dagger up, the blade glinting wickedly. I sprung forward, killing the two men in their stupor. Weak fools. I was atop my mother before she knew what was happening. She stared me down, then spat in my face. I held the knife at her throat. _

"_I'm an old woman. I welcome the afterlife." _

"_Mother!" another boy entered the room. "What's going on?" _

"_Izuna! Don't come any closer!" my mother cried. But that gave me an idea. I could hurt my mother just as bad as she hurt me. I scrambled off her, headed for my younger brother, pinning him against the wall._

"_Madara? What are you doing?" he struggled against me. I sneered, slicing my blade across his neck. I didn't have to explain myself to anyone._

"No!" my mother screamed. "I always knew you were evil."

I turned slowly. "You haven't seen anything yet."

_OOooOOooOO_

_With the sun on the horizon, I didn't have much time. After the guards had seen what I'd done to my own flesh and blood, their loyalties shifted to me. People are such fickle creatures. Though I couldn't blame them, no one wants to be decapitated, their head placed on a pike to either side of me. I assumed the throne that day, ordering the deaths of anyone even remotely related to my old family. I would start fresh; breed Uchihas to be strong and powerful. Thus, my reign of fear had begun at the age of fifteen. I started with the burning of the brothel I'd lived in, never wanting to see that eyesore on my land again. After that, I built up my army and set about to overthrowing all the surrounding countries, terrorizing the people as I went. Prisoners I kept for awhile, mainly for sexual amusement, but I was always the dominator. Never again would I be at someone's will. My riches and lands grew, along with my taste for sex and blood. After having a few samples, I needed more, much more. I earned many names from Madara the Terrible to Mad Maddy. Personally, I hated that last one._

_I ruled for nearly fifteen years unopposed until an outsider named Senju Hashirama came to me. I took an audience with him, intrigued by his views and talks of piece. After he spoke his peace, I laughed in his face, finding his ideals to be fantasy. People understood fear and war. I let him go, not threatened by this fool. Perhaps I should have been more wary._

_A year later, I met up with the man again. This time, on the battlefield. Surprised that he'd raised an army to rival mine, I organized my men, then led them into battle. For seven days and seven nights, the battle raged on, scarring the landscape, both sides taking heavy damage. At the end, it was me versus him. The two of us facing each other down like animals encircling prey. He looked at me with pity, shaking his head. I hated that; no one would ever look down at me again. I roared, swinging my sword. We clashed, but I had underestimated my opponent. I went down, a deep wound in my side. His captains wasted no time putting me in chains, not even bothering with my wounds. I was dragged off, back to Egypt, and put into this very cell. _

_It's morning. Do I fear death? No. I have a plan. I hear two priests coming down the hall. I greet them with a cold smile, planning to make my move at the opportune time._

"I don't get it," Naruto scratched at his blond locks. "Why was he so confident? I mean, the guy died."

"He did something," Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "but perhaps it wasn't in this life."

"The afterlife?" Naruto was shocked.

"I don't know. We'll have to ask Kisame back at the palace." Rising to his feet, Sasuke looked up, seeing the last of the setting sun's rays through the door far above them. Staring directly at Naruto he said, "What you're about to see, it's well…" he struggled to find the right word. "…different." The blonde was wary, steadily returning the gaze. Sasuke stepped back, shifting to his demon form. He hissed with pain, though this time it was mixed with…pleasure? Keeping his head down, his long, now purplish bangs, covering his face. He just wanted to get this over with and return to normal. Seconds ticked by, then minutes, filled with nothing but silence. Growing nervous and annoyed, Sasuke wondered what the heck Naruto was doing. He looked up, saw Naruto was standing there with his hands on his hips. "Hey, why aren't you screaming in terror or something?"

"Two reasons," Naruto replied simply. "One. I've been through worse. Two, I know it's you, teme."

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered. He gestured to his back. "Get on."

"Oo..am I going to ride the prince?" Naruto mused. Sasuke blushed. He didn't miss the sexual undertone of that sentence. Or was he just imaging it? Ack! He was getting hard just thinking about having the blonde over him. And to do it while in his demon form? Wow…that would be something.

"Okay, I'm on," Naruto said. "You've been staring for five minutes."

"Yes, well, um…let's get out of here." Sasuke backed to the wall, but not too close, digging the nails of his handwings into the tough limestone. They began their ascent, each pound echoing and vibrating through the cell. Once back at the opening, the night air felt refreshing and was a welcome relief, until Sasuke stepped off the ledge. "Hang on."

Naruto gripped Sasuke hard around his neck, the air rushing up as the ground grew nearer. He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact that was sure to come. Sasuke smirked. He spread his wings, caught the updraft, and the two sailed silently into the night sky.

"Amazing," Naruto said in awe. He was looking down at the sands below as well as the body beneath him. Sasuke's tunic had torn even further, exposing his broad shoulders and muscled back. Though his skin was grey as a corpse's, he thought about what it would be like to lick every inch of it. Whoa! Where had that come from?

"So…" Sasuke began, bringing Naruto back to reality.

"So?" Naruto replied, glad for the conversation.

"What do you think of me? Like this, I mean?"

"Actually, you remind me of a wall carving Sai saw back in your pyramid. He said something about a curse. Personally, I think your 'curse' is pretty cool." Sasuke found himself smiling, if only a little. He'd never thought of his demon as 'cool.' But the carving, that concerned him. No one but Itachi and Naruto saw him in this form. Could Madara have something to do with that too?

"Madara, he had sort of a sad life, you know," Naruto said.

"Sad? More like messed up," Sasuke snorted.

"Well, yeah, on some levels," the blonde agreed. "To think that's how your family began." Sasuke shuddered, it was not the humble beginnings he'd been taught. The Uchihas had a bloody and terrible past, one that was recorded through the scribbles of its founder. Could Madara's vicious behavior have been the cause of the Uchiha curse? Or was it something deeper? He couldn't wait to get back to the castle and see what Kisame knew.

After landing not too far from the palace, Naruto slid off of Sasuke, a little airsick, but alright overall. Sasuke, meanwhile, had thrown up after shifting back into his human form. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath; his body felt like it was on fire. He'd never been in his demon form that long before. It was hell on his body. Naruto saw Sasuke struggling, but instead of making a big issue out of it and stepping on his pride, he casually swung an arm under Sasuke's shoulder, shifting his weight to himself. They headed back to the palace, Naruto looking calm on the outside, but very worried on the inside.

OOooOOooOO

Once they arrived back at the palace, Sasuke was shocked to see the place in a state of panic. People were scurrying about, orders being issued by his mother. Something had happened, and not in the good sense. "This way," Sasuke led Naruto away from Mikoto, surprise crossing the blonde's face.

"Um..shouldn't we ask your mom what's going on?"

"Whatever it is, in her eyes, she'd think it was my fault somehow," the prince replied bitterly. "Better to ask a more reliable source." They weaved their way through the corridors, finally ducking their way into the library. "Kisame!" he barked. "What's happening?"

"My lord," the big man appeared, looking more haggard than Sasuke had ever seen him. "Blood has been spilled. Many people are dead, including your father." Nothing flickered across Sasuke's face.

"And?" he prompted impatiently.

"Itachi. He's been taken." Sasuke was shocked. Nothing bested his brother. "No one knows where. But this note was left." A small piece of parchment was handed to the raven.

"Come to your master," Sasuke read aloud.

"What does that mean?" Naruto wondered. Suddenly, Sasuke flinched as something pulsed through him. The throbbing continued, subtle yet commanding. The raven crumpled the note in his hand, turning briskly to the door. Before he could open it, the door flew open from the other side.

"You!" Mikoto accused. "What did you do? You planned to get rid of Itachi so you could take control of the throne?"

"No mother." Sasuke answered coldly. "I'm going to save him."

OOooOOooOO

END CHAPTER 7

Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hello everyone and welcome back!

Rated: "**M**"

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I really do appreciate them!

Chapter 8 – The Person Within

OOooOOooOO

Leaving his mother and Kisame speechless behind him, Sasuke immediately left the palace, heading straight out into the desert sands. Where he was going, he wasn't exactly sure, but inside, he knew the way. The sun was already heating things up and Sasuke felt trickles of sweat drip down by his ears and down his neck. He frowned, thinking he should have planned this out a little better. But that was who he was, action first, thoughts later. He continued to walk, lost in his thoughts, when a familiar voice was heard coming up fast behind him.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke paused, not really all that surprised the blond had followed him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Naruto running straight for him, sand kicking up behind him. The raven turned, placing a hand on his hip. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"Coming with you, obviously," Naruto panted, halting in front of the raven.

"Oh really?" Sasuke raised a brow.

"Yes, really," Naruto replied stubbornly. Bringing a finger to Sasuke's pale lips, he cut off any retort. The slight contact had the raven's tight control slip a notch. Parting his lips slightly, Sasuke's tongue went to slither around Naruto's tanned digit, his whole mouth soon following. He sucked lightly, eyes closed. As he expected, the blond turned skittish, pulling his now damp finger away. A thin strand of saliva still held them together. Naruto rushed out, "We better get moving."

"Sure," Sasuke replied casually, licking at the string of saliva. It snapped, the moment passed, and Sasuke found himself mentally kicking himself for pulling such a stunt. Making sure his mouth was clean, he hurried to catch up with Naruto, easily falling into step with his slave. Naruto was silent for awhile, a fact that worried Sasuke.

"That was…" Naruto began thoughtfully, "…interesting." Sasuke sighed, relieved that Naruto didn't run from him. He didn't even realize he'd been holding his breath the whole time. "Explain something for me." Naruto abruptly shifted the topic of conversation. "Why are you going to save your brother?"

"That's a stupid question," Sasuke answered flatly.

"Humor me," the blond drawled.

"Fine. He's family."

"Oh? You didn't seem too fazed about your dead father back there," Naruto pressed.

Sasuke froze, fists clenching at his sides. "Shut up! You don't know anything about me."

"No one does," Naruto countered.

The raven sighed, running a hand through his shaggy black bangs. "Before Itachi was groomed to be Pharaoh, he and I spent a lot of time together despite the five year gap between our ages. My earliest memories are of him playing and taking care of me. He was the only one who noticed me, cared I existed. After my father took him to train, he changed. He no longer had time for me and I watched him fade." Sasuke paused. "It's the memories of who he was that keeps me going, knowing maybe, just maybe, the Itachi I knew is still in there, somewhere."

"Well, I'll do whatever I can to help you," Naruto replied determinedly. "As for me, the only person I was ever close to was my father. The two of us lived on a small farm outside your family's Dynasty. We were going to raise the best sheep ever…" he couldn't finish, his eyes glossy with unshed tears. "It still hurts. Not one day goes by without me thinking about him," Naruto finished softly.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke stopped them both, his heart going out to Naruto's pain. He understood what the blond was going through. Small tears leaked from the blonde's eyes, Sasuke leaning in to lightly kiss them away.

Naruto didn't flinch; just warmed to the condolences he was being offered. "It's okay," he replied, voice cracking.

Sasuke was amazed at the level of love between father and son, if not a little jealous. "I couldn't shed one tear for my father. He was a bastard who saw me as nothing more than a tool. I could never love him," Sasuke bit out.

Naruto regained his composure, wiping his eyes with his arm. "Have you ever known love, Sasuke?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered, a small smile pulling at his lips. Naruto gave him a look, an unknown feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. "Don't worry, dobe. She's dead."

"I wasn't implying anything," Naruto huffed, his lower lip sticking out slightly and looking incredibly suckable. Sasuke smirked, he liked teasing the blond like this. "So what was she like?"

"Pure heaven," Sasuke replied huskily.

"Who was she?" Naruto pressed curiously.

"My sex coach."

"Your sex coach?" Naruto parroted.

"Yeah. I was surprised to see that Madara grew up in a brothel, as I did, but our experiences couldn't have been more different. Sure, it was weird and uncomfortable when I got there, but I was determined to be the best, to prove to my father I could be someone he could be proud of. At least, that was my intent in the beginning. As time went by though, I found myself pushing myself for her, Mistress Konan."

"A student-teacher thing, huh? Did she give private lessons or something?" Naruto said, wagging his brows.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Are you going to let me continue?" Naruto nodded, smiling sheepishly. "So, I bet you think I just hopped into bed and had flaming sex right off the bat." Sasuke snorted. "Believe it or not, I was the most modest person there. I hated the whole idea of being naked and being with people. The only person I wanted to be near was Itachi, and_ not_ in the sexual way," he added, seeing Naruto raise a brow. "I had just turned ten, having sex wasn't going to happen for awhile yet. The first two years were rather like a regular education. Reading, writing, math, the usual. Classes lasted throughout the day, each one tougher than the previous. My scores were good, and I was praised by Konan, excelling faster than the other kids." Sasuke actually sounded proud of himself. "Then, three years later, things got really interesting. Anatomy and biology courses started and well as 'hand's on' type teaching. Though it was not about other people, it was learning about ourselves first. Exploring one's own body. Master Pein taught me what it meant to be male, and he was damn strict. If I didn't do something right, I got punished." He frowned slightly.

"Like the kind your dad did to you?" Naruto gulped.

"No! Nothing like that," Sasuke said, "Thankfully," he added softly. "Pein used tough love, at least, that's how Konan put it. The following year we learned about women and how they work with us guys. I was so enthralled with Konan and how she'd taken me to be her student, I nodded eagerly when she told me about the 'blind test.' That night, I found myself blindfolded, tied down naked, in my own bed." Naruto paled. "I was scared. But I knew it had to be a lesson of some kind. As soon as Konan entered the room, I relaxed. The bed sagged ever so slightly as she lay down next to me. I felt her soft, incredible hands on me, roaming my body, making me react in ways I never thought possible. I felt so alive, it was unlike anything I'd experienced. Of course, such passion was to be returned the following year, when I was to be on the giving end. My final with Konan was going well. Everything I did was right, filled with such passion that I thought …oh never mind," he cut himself off. "The next day my father took me back to the palace and I became the caged animal you met at breakfast time."

Naruto was curious as to what happened with Konan, but Sasuke didn't seem like he wanted to expand on those details. "So, for five years you trained at the brothel. What about family visits?"

Sasuke snorted. "Never happened. Honestly, I didn't even care. The brothel had become my home, its members my family. If I had it my way, I would have stayed there."

"Hmm...," Naruto stared at the ground, blue eyes cast downwards. He felt angry and embarrassed by his lack of experience in the sexual field. Sasuke would probably find him boring and childish and HEY! Why was he thinking like this and why would he care?

Sasuke meanwhile was thinking about having Naruto blindfolded, bound, and naked beneath him. Though he'd make it as pleasurable as possible, exploring every inch of that tanned flesh with his fingers, lips, and tongue. Of course, there were other things he'd like to explore as well, his cock twitching in agreement. He glanced at Naruto who was staring back at him. Naruto seemed to be fighting with himself, though he could see the curiosity cross the blonde's face, but was it was also framed with nervousness. To Sasuke, it was like seeing himself all over again. "Hn," he smiled slightly.

"What?" Naruto huffed.

"Nothing. Come on, dobe. Night is falling. Hope you brought a tent in that bag of yours."

OOooOOooOO

Itachi slowly opened his eyes. He could tell at least one was heavily bruised, the skin puffy and swollen. Even so, with his good eye, all he could see was total blackness. Attempting to move was a big mistake, his body filling with pain at even the slightest movement. His skin and back were cold, his fingers discovering he was lying on some type of stone altar. He hissed as his hair was pulled, an amused voice drifting to his ear. "It's been a long time since my blood has been spilled. The punishment I gave you should make you reconsider pulling such a stunt again," said Madara.

Itachi struggled to tear himself away, but his binds were tight and restrictive. "Where am I?"

"Underground, inside an occult temple, one built to honor the great and powerful Anubis. I was rather pleased to see it had survived in my absence. We are here to fulfill your purpose to me."

"Why not just kill me and get it over with?" Itachi snapped. "I tire of these games."

"Come on now, don't quit on me so soon, pharaoh," Madara said. "Besides, I know you still have some fight in you. I'll use that as entertainment until your baby brother gets here."

"Sasuke again? What do you want with him?"

"He should feel flattered actually. That somebody wants him, I mean," Madara said smugly. Itachi felt a twinge of guilt wash over him.

"If what you say is true, Sasuke has no reason to come find me," Itachi replied coolly. "Damn this blindfold," he scowled.

Madara laughed. "You'd be surprised what your brother would do for you. Combine that with the draw of the demon inside and I have one very obedient pet."

"How do you know about that?" Itachi demanded.

"I know much," Madara replied arrogantly. "Especially about power."

"But I am the Pharaoh, the power is mine," Itachi hissed.

"Yes, and I will be relieving you of it soon. But Sasuke's power is on a whole different level. Enough about me and your brother. I want to know about what lies beneath my fingertips. Itachi felt the man's lithe fingers ghost along his chest and ribs.

"I would rather die than have you touch me like this," Itachi snarled.

Madara laughed, "Death is over-rated." He then blew a soft breath across Itachi's nipples, which was quickly followed by his teeth and lips. Itachi squirmed, but that only made the older man bite down harder, drawing blood. Afterwards, he felt a weight shift above him then come to settle on his hips. Frowning, he was going to talk back when his lips were met with Madara's in a rough kiss. He was brutal, causing bruising and making it difficult for Itachi to breathe. Finally allowing Itachi an intake of sweet air, Madara had moved to cover his victim's jawbone and throat with nips and bites, sharp canines catching on Itachi's pale skin. His mouth was busy up north, but his hands were quickly headed south. One hand gripped Itachi's soft cock and started to pump it. Itachi felt his cock growing hard, disgusted by what this man was doing to him and how his body was reacting to it. He then gasped as the lips that had been abusing his throat were now wrapped along the tip of his length. A silky tongue began its exploration first by licking its way up the thick vein that ran underneath his engorged cock. A hand came up to cup his balls, a thumb sliding over the heavy stones. Madara smiled devilishly, his mouth drinking up Itachi. Slowly, he began to move up and down the large length, savoring the precum that leaked from the weeping cock. Leaving his balls, Madara's hand when to Itachi's ass, where it sought out his forbidden entrance. First two, then three fingers sought entrance, probing and searching until it found the prostrate. Itachi was seeing stars as his spot was hit over and over again. With the stimulation of that and Madara's mouth on his cock, he sent his seed flying into the older man's mouth. Madara swallowed the bitter fluids greedily, his hand wiping away the excess that had dribbled down his chin. He used the excess to spread along Itachi's entrance. The younger Uchiha was quivering beneath him, sweat breaking out all over his body. It was so damn erotic. He had to admit, Itachi was a beautiful man, and he was glad the Uchiha's had remained so as they descended down the line. About to disrobe himself and relieve his own throbbing cock, Madara was momentarily interrupted.

"My lord," Guren bowed low as she entered the temple. Behind her was a bound and gagged Neji, who was looking very pissed off.

"Dammit Guren, I'm busy right now!" Madara shot daggers at the girl. He was so hard, it hurt like hell. All he wanted to do was get inside Itachi's tight, wet heat and fuck the gorgeous body beneath him, claiming the young king was his.

Guren sighed lustfully. She wished she could be the one straddled over by such a powerful man. "The armies are in position. They were more than willing to see things our way after a little persuasion," she added smugly.

"Fine, fine. The takeover will begin as soon as my pet arrives."

"Of course. But what should I do with him? He was the captain and is quite stubborn about following the new rules."

"Fuck." Madara swore, torn between his quest for power and plowing into the ass beneath him. "Throw him into one of the sacrificial chambers. Anubis will get a two for one when the ceremony begins." Guren nodded, pulling along the reluctant captain.

Neji hated to be pulled around like some damn dog. Despite the fact he was bound, his eyes were assessing the area. He was appalled seeing his king being sexually assaulted like some fucking whore. Around him were images of human sacrifice carved into the walls, the images graphic and bloody. Dried blood covered both the floor and the altar upon which Itachi lay. Statues of Anubis littered the room, some only inches tall, while others stood from floor to ceiling. Giant circles and archaic text dotted the room, ritual circles etched into the stone flooring. The place looked old, unused in centuries, until now. Such cruel forms of sacrifice had been a thing of the past, being replaced by visual representation rather than actual flesh and blood. It was a much less gruesome way to honor the gods.

"In you go," Guren said, a little too happily in Neji's opinion. He was shoved into a tiny, dark, dank room. The door closing, cutting off any light, a lock being put into place. He sagged against the door, trying to put the pieces together of what had happened. One minute the army was ready for training, the next, it had been infiltrated by a monstrous jackal. It didn't take long for the men to switch sides, fear and survival driving them. He had refused, been attacked by his own men, and then bitten by the large jackal. He was knocked out, only to be aroused in this annoying predicament. He had to escape, save his king, and get his army back. Easier said than done.

Madara turned his attention back to Itachi, relief filling him as Guren left. Sex for him was a private affair. Stripping off his tunic, he grabbed his hardened cock and slammed it into Itachi's tight ass. The younger Uchiha screamed, his cries growing worse as Madara harshly and heatedly continued to ram into his body. He was so ready to cum, his seed shot straight into that tight heat, some spilling onto the altar beneath it. Exhausted, Madara fell atop Itachi's chest, panting heavily. He still had it, after all these centuries. He'd put Itachi through hell, but fucking him had been pure heaven. Itachi's heartbeat had slowed, unconsciousness taken over. Sated, Madara rolled off the younger Uchiha and landed on his feet. Not even bothering with his tunic, he shimmered into his jackal form. He padded around the altar a few times before settling down in front of it. He turned his dark eyes to Itachi, his mind repeating the thought of 'mine.' Yawning, he stretched his front claws, then curled into a ball. Things were going well. Sasuke was on his way, he had the Pharaoh right where he wanted him, and before long, he'd be on top again. Shifting slightly, he flinched as he hit the wound on his foreleg. He was confused seeing as how it refused to heal. But he'd always been stubborn, it'd only make sense if his body was as well. Sleep came fast, though with it came the nightmares.

OOooOOooOO

"It's so quiet," said Naruto.

"It's the desert," Sasuke replied groggily. "Now go back to bed."

Naruto tried closing his eyes as well, but sleep evaded him. Here he was, lying next to the prince of Egypt, inside a tiny tent, in the middle of the desert. Was he out of his mind? Why did he follow Sasuke anyways? He sighed. To be honest, he liked being with Sasuke. It made him happy. "Dad, you think I was sent to the palace so I could meet Sasuke?" he said quietly, looking at the top of the tent towards the sky beyond. "He seemed so lonely, and so was I. Maybe we were fated to meet like this." Sasuke shifted in his sleep, rolling onto his back.

Despite the cooler temperatures of the desert at night, Sasuke still slept in the nude. With the sheets falling from him, Naruto got a few glimpses of a broad, sleek back. The moonlight that streamed through the slits of the tent flaps highlighted Sasuke's hair with streaks of blue. Before Naruto could stop himself, he brought a hand up and stroked it through the raven's spiky locks. They were incredibly soft. His fingers continued to trail down the Sasuke's back, gliding along his spine, down the lower back, and ending at his tight ass. Naruto carefully slid the sheet away, his hand going to explore further, feeling around lean thighs and calves.

"Having fun?" Sasuke murmured above him.

"Sasuke! I..um..," Naruto stammered, his face blushing red.

"Relax, Naruto. It's fine," Sasuke said calmly. Naruto tried pulling his hand away, but Sasuke stopped him. "Really."

The blond gulped nervously, flexing his fingers. "I think I'll sleep outside," Naruto spun, but was quickly halted by Sasuke, who had wrapped his arms around the blonde's clothed chest.

"Please, don't leave," the raven whispered. Sasuke gently began to nip at Naruto's ear, his tongue darting in and out of the shell.

Naruto hesitated. He was caught between further curiosity, his inexperience, and the tightening of his cock inside his tunic. Sasuke turned him so that their eyes met. The blond quickly looked down and away. The raven leaned in, their foreheads touching. He already knew the blond was interested just by looking. That's good, a smile pulled at his lips. "Look what you do to me." Sasuke gestured to his rising cock.

Naruto was startled. He couldn't believe how their short contact had caused Sasuke's body to react in such a dramatic way. "No!" he pulled his hand away.

Sasuke frowned. "What's the problem?"

"You think I'm going to let you seduce me only to become a number on your enormous list of fuck buddies."

"I believe you were the one to touch me first," he said flatly. "Let me tell you something. What I do and who I do has never been a choice for me. I performed for the people in the 'house,' my family, and the dynasty." His voice softened, "But I tell you this. This time, I'm choosing for myself." He leaned into Naruto, his lips slanting across the blonde's. His mouth was forceful against Naruto's, his tongue seeking entrance. Naruto's resolve weakened slightly, his mouth opening against the intrusion. Their tongues fought for dominance, hands eagerly seeking the others' body. Sasuke began to tear at Naruto's tunic, for he couldn't wait for his hands to feel up that tanned chest.

"Wait. Wait." Naruto said between kisses.

"Now what?" Sasuke reigned himself in for a moment, his dark eyes searching blue ones.

"I've never done anything like this before," Naruto said so softly, Sasuke had to strain to hear him.

"It's okay," Sasuke reassured him. He brought his lips in for a long, passionate kiss that left the blond breathless. This was then followed by more kisses and nips that trailed down to the blonde's tight nipples. Sasuke rubbed one between his fingers while his teeth pulled at the other. Naruto let out a gasp, his hands and fingers twisting in Sasuke's hair. "It's even more amazing against your skin," Sasuke murmured, "Want to give it a try?"

Slowly, Naruto began to lift the tunic from this body. He didn't make eye contact with Sasuke while he did so, not knowing if Sasuke would like what he saw.

Sasuke watched intently as Naruto awkwardly took off his the rest of his clothes. Despite the blonde's lack of knowledge, he was doing a hell of a job turning him on by just the slightest of actions. And the tanned, toned body Naruto sported had Sasuke strained and already leaking. "Lay back," he said, voice husky.

Naruto nodded uncertainly, but complied. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Sasuke was looming above him, eyes filled with lust. He started to squirm, but Sasuke trapped him within the limbs of his body.

"You have to relax," Sasuke spoke softly, "and trust me." Sasuke had done this so many times before, he could do it blindfolded. But this time, he wanted to make it special and have it truly mean something. To both of them.

OOooOOooOO

Mikoto ran her fingers along Itachi's crimson robes. Just where was her beloved son? Her worry turned to fury as she thought of her other son. Sasuke had seemed to be subdued, doing what he had to in order to ensure the continuation of the dynasty. But no, he had pulled the wool over both her and her husband's eyes, kidnapping Itachi, and trying to cheat his way onto the throne. How dare he! And she'd let the conniving little prick walk away from her, just like that. She needed him back here, and now! An attack on the Pharaoh was an extreme offense.

Mikoto kept a special division of troops she had ready for just such occasions. Calling them to action she ordered them to retrieve Sasuke, doing whatever it took. Once he was brought back to the palace, the mission would continue with other objectives. Twenty men nodded, accepted the mission, and headed out in pursuit. Mikoto smiled to herself, it won't be long now. Little did she know, she had just sent her best men to certain death. But it didn't stop there, death would be knocking at her palace door very soon as well.

OOooOOooOO

END CHAPTER 8!

Please review and let me know what you guys think! Thanks!


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